The famous artist gave his final concert on Saturday at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, the last stop of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
“I’ve had the most incredible career that words can’t describe. How lucky am I to have been making music for 52 years?” said John, 76, as he ended his concert with “Your Song” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”
“But you know, without you, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you. You bought the singles, the albums, the CDs, and the cassettes, but most importantly, you bought the concert tickets, and you know how much I love performing live.”
After the show, the five-time Grammy winner thanked his fans for their unwavering support over more than five decades.
“My fans have always been there for me. They were there at every step, they supported me, they were patient, and they came to every event,” he said in a statement after the show, according to Consequence.
Tonight was a beautiful evening. I’m still processing everything, and I think it will take some time before I’m truly finished with touring. I can’t tell you how much I will miss the fans or how deeply their love humbles me – it will live forever in my heart.
During the event, the “Tiny Dancer” singer received a special message from Chris Martin, who was performing at the same time with his band Coldplay in Sweden.
Elton, we just want to say, from all of us here, from all the bands and artists you have loved, inspired, and supported, that we love you so much,” said Martin, 46, in part. “We love you enormously. Happy retirement, and we’re going to miss you terribly, mate.”
John, who has been touring since 1970, took to Instagram on Saturday morning to share an emotional message ahead of the much-anticipated event.
“What a journey this tour has been, and now we’ve come to the end,” he wrote. “Tonight is the final night.”
Although John will no longer be touring, he and his management have already announced that fans will still be able to see him in some form in the years to come.
It’s important to distinguish between Elton stepping away from touring and Elton performing his last public show—it’s not the last time,” John’s husband and manager, David Furnish, told Billboard last November.
I know he won’t go on tour in any form. What you might see is the possibility of a spectacular one-off event or a short residency at a single location for a limited time.
