Elton John Brings Rarities and Surprise Guests to Glastonbury

Elton John delivered a career spanning set, and welcomed several surprise guests, during his headlining performance at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday night.

The gig was the final U.K. stop on Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, and the iconic singer pulled out all the stops to make sure it was a memorable affair.

The performance began with a cover of the Who's "Pinball Wizard," something Elton hasn't played in concert since 2009. From there, John rocked through many of his most beloved hits, including "The Bitch Is Back," "Bennie and the Jets," "Daniel" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues."

Jacob Lusk, a former contestant on American Idol and current member of the band Gabriels, joined John for "Are You Ready for Love." The rendition -- which marked the first time Elton had performed the song in nine years -- was backed by the London Community Gospel Choir, who stayed on for the next tune, "Sad Songs (Say So Much)."

Later in the set, Brandon Flowers, frontman of the Killers, joined Elton for "Tiny Dancer." Actress and pop star Rina Sawayama also made a surprise appearance, dueting with John on the classic track "Don't Go Breaking My Heart."

The evening ended with two of Elton's most distinctive tunes. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was dedicated to George Michael on what would have been the singer's 60th birthday. It was followed by the closing number, "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)."

“I want to thank you all for showing up in your costumes and your glasses and your outfits,” John declared to the thousands in attendance. “You make me feel so happy, make me feel loved. I want to thank you also for 52 years of amazing love and loyalty you’ve shown me. It’s been an incredible journey and I’ve had the best, best time. I will never forget you, you’re in my head and my heart and my soul.”

See pictures and a full set list from the show below.

Prior to the Glastonbury performance, Elton had hinted that he had a few surprises up his sleeve.

“It’s a different show to what people have been seeing. On Farewell Yellow Brick Road, there’s quite a lot of deep cuts; it’s not all hits,” he explained to the BBC. “When you put a set list together, I always say it’s a bit like having sex. You start off really well, then you chill out a little bit, then towards the end of the show all hell breaks loose!”

With his Glastonbury performance in the books, John only has eight shows remaining in his farewell tour. The trek is scheduled to wrap on July 8 in Sweden.

Elton John, Glastonbury Festival, June 25, 2023
1. "Pinball Wizard"
2. "The Bitch Is Back"
3. "Bennie and the Jets"
4. "Daniel"
5. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
6. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
7. "Philadelphia Freedom"
8. "Are You Ready for Love"
9. "Sad Songs (Say So Much)"
10. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
11. "Until I Found You"
12. "Your Song"
13. "Candle in the Wind"
14. "Tiny Dancer"
15. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
16. "Crocodile Rock"
17. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
18. "I'm Still Standing"
19. "Cold Heart"
20. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
21. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)"