Elton John enthralls Glastonbury in final UK show

[June 26, 2023]  By Sachin Ravikumar
 
GLASTONBURY, England (Reuters) -Elton John enthralled a massive Glastonbury crowd on Sunday night in possibly his last show in Britain, delighting loyal fans but disappointing others who had hoped for star guest appearances.  

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The flamboyant British singer's performance followed two sun-drenched days at the famous music festival in southwest England, where tens of thousands of fans heard Guns N' Roses, the Arctic Monkeys, the Foo Fighters, Lizzo, Lewis Capaldi and others.

"Oh wow. I never thought I'd ever play Glastonbury. And here I am," John, who wore a glittery golden jacket and rose-tinted glasses, said during the start of his first appearance at Worthy Farm.

"It’s a very special and emotional night for me because it may be my last show ever in England and Great Britain."

He welcomed four guests at various stages of his show: singers Jacob Lusk, Stephen Sanchez and Rina Sawayama; and Brandon Flowers of rock band The Killers, with whom John performed "Tiny Dancer" to a rapturous crowd.

Some fans were expecting more star power after last year's Glastonbury, in which Paul McCartney was joined on the Pyramid stage by surprise guests Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl.

"As an Elton fan, I thought he was great, but maybe the guests could have been bigger," said Bex Whiting, 35, who was wearing a sparkly, rainbow-coloured jacket in tribute to John's trademark appearance.

"I hate to say that, since he championed some real, local people, like Rina Sawayama. But I think there was a lot of talk in the crowd that it's going to be Britney or Eminem or big names."

John, 76, is nearing the end of his final tour, of which Glastonbury was the last British show.

"I want to thank you all for dressing up in your costumes and your glasses and your outfits," he told the sea of humanity before him, which was punctuated by many in glittery outfits and glasses.

"I want to thank you also for 52 years of amazing love and loyalty that you've shown me. It's been an incredible journey, and I've had the best, best time."

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Jane Merriman and Stephen Coates)

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