Following half-a-century in the limelight, Elton John has announced his retirement from touring.
Revealing the news moments ago during a live stream, Elton confirmed his final hurrah will be a mammoth 300-date, three-year world tour, kicking off in the US this September.
In a written statement, the star said “Performing live fuels me and I’m ecstatic and humbled to continue to play to audiences across the globe. I plan to bring the passion and creativity that has entertained my fans for decades to my final tour. After the tour finishes, I’m very much looking forward to closing off that chapter of my life by saying farewell to life on the road. I need to dedicate more time to raising my children.”
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Though a final itinerary for the shows are still to be revealed, UK dates will see him cover 2019 and 2020 across most major cities – Plymouth, Cardiff, Brighton, London, Liverpool, Leeds, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Sheffield, Birmingham, Newcastle, Nottingham and Manchester.
The announcement has also fuelled rumours of Elton finally taking the pedestal as a Glastonbury headliner. The performer is one of the few remaining icons yet to grace Worthy Farm’s Pyramid Stage, and seeing out his 50 year career at Glastonbury would certainly be apt, particularly considering Glastonbury 2020 would also coincide with the festival’s 50th anniversary.
You can watch the full tour announcement in 360º VR below:
