elton john tour 02 2023

This event has passed.

10th and final show

• Date 2 Apr - 30 May 2023
• Venue The O2 arena
• Availability On sale now

Event Details

Speaking of the UK dates Elton John says “The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour will take us to many places that have meant a lot to me over the last fifty years, but these UK shows will be incredibly special. The UK is home, and where my heart will always be. To celebrate some of the incredible moments we’ve shared with my British fans over the years will be wonderful. These homecoming shows will be very emotional, and a lot of fun.”

Kicking off in the U.S. in September, the ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour has already been greeted with a wealth of praise from critics and fans alike. The three-year tour will consist of more than 300 shows across five continents, hitting North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australasia before reaching its conclusion in 2021. By the end of this week, over half a million fans will already have witnessed the tour. These dates mark the superstar’s last-ever tour and the end of half a century on the road for one of pop culture’s most enduring performers, who was recently named as the most successful male solo artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history, having logged 67 entries, including nine No. 1s and 27 Top 10s. Elton’s new stage production will take his fans on a musical and highly visual journey spanning a 50-year career of hits like no one has ever seen before.

Important Information - How to download your tickets on The O2 app

For this show, if you’ve purchased your tickets via AXS, you’ll need to display your ticket on your phone via The O2 app . Ticket purchasers will receive an email from us with news and information on  Flash Mobile Delivery tickets  and  AXS Official Resale  – which gives you a safe, simple, and fair way to buy and sell tickets.

If you’ve bought your tickets for this show via AXS then you can re-sell your tickets with AXS Official Resale. For more information on re-selling tickets from AXS and other ticket agents  click here .  

Please note:  If you purchase  resale   tickets for this show through any website other than via theo2.co.uk or axs.com, your tickets may not be valid and access to the venue could be refused.

Keeping you safe at events

To help everyone attending an event at The O2 to stay safe we’ve made some changes to how we operate. Find out more about our enhanced health and safety measures.

Sign up for updates and pre-sales

Upcoming events.

Plus special guests Lottery Winners

Plus special guests

Thirty Seconds to Mars

The seasons tour.

The Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer

Plus special guests Razorlight

Culture | Music

Elton John at the O2 review: the Rocketman is bowing out in a blaze of glory

Elton John didn’t need to prove his status as a legend but his extensive Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, billed as his last, is doing that repeatedly.

As he took to the stage for the first of 10 shows at London’s O2 Arena, John thanked the crowd for their patience following years of delays caused by Covid and a hip operation. “The only way we can repay you is by giving you a really good show and here we are,” he said, confident as always.

For the next 150-minutes, John refused to wallow in the past. From the opening piano blast of Bennie and the Jets to the smirking grand finale that saw him disappear into the heavens via a sparkling chairlift, John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road gig was deliberately and positively joyful.

Timeless anthems of defiance like Border Song and I’m Still Standing were fiercely pertinent as the star performed them to a multi-generational audience that featured everyone from long-term fans to newcomers who were watching their very first gig.

Further proving he’s still got it, 2021’s poptastic No 1 single Cold Heart received one of the biggest reactions of the night, even if Dua Lipa didn’t make a surprise appearance, before his first hit, Your Song, showcased a perfect declaration of love.

Despite being 286 shows into a tour that originally began in 2018, things never felt rigid or tired. John and his “kick ass” band comfortably switched between freewheeling rock and roll (Levon) and unruly karaoke (Crocodile Rock) with a mischievous flair.

After almost every song, the showman triumphantly stood up from behind the piano with a beaming smile and his arms outstretched like he couldn’t believe he was still getting away with it. Later this summer, John will play his final UK show ever as a first time Glastonbury headliner, breaking new ground to the last.

Sure, there were moments of heart-wrenching reflection throughout the night as John paid tribute to friends who had passed away over the years while Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me and Rocket Man took on another jagged meaning against the backdrop of a farewell tour.

“I won’t ever forget you but I want to spend the rest of my life with my family,” John told the crowd, direct as ever. It was hard for things to get too melancholy though, especially when a chunk of the audience wore garish light-up glasses and John was hellbent on getting everyone dancing.

Metallica perform tribute for Sir Elton as he receives 2024 Gershwin Prize

Will & Grace star on non-LGBT+ actors in gay roles: Best people should get parts

Glastonbury superfan’s 3D-printed Coldplay hat pays off after line-up announced

Celebrate Art of London’s collaborations with women artists

The show was sprinkled with countless nods to John’s impressive career highlights while clips from The Simpsons, Rocketman and a John Lewis Christmas ad drove home his wider cultural impact. Archive footage may have played out alongside the flawless greatest hits set but the audience were never left longing for the glory days. They were too busy watching them unfold.

The O2, to April 17 and May 30; theo2.co.uk

• Latest News

‘Get Your Wings’: Aerosmith’s Classic Second Album

‘the original soundtrack’: 10cc settle the score, andrew lloyd webber: the baron of broadway and the box office, in the r&b groove: elvis costello gets soulful with ‘get happy’, ‘the temptations sing smokey’: two motown legends, one soul classic, the best heavy metal debut albums of all time, ‘apostrophe (’)’: when frank zappa was embraced by the mainstream, remi wolf announces new album ‘big ideas,’ shares ‘cinderella’, shabaka recruits andré 3000, floating points, and esperanza spalding for ‘i’ll do whatever you want’, city high’s debut album has been remastered & expanded, aerosmith announce ‘get your wings’ 50th anniversary limited edition vinyl, dierks bentley borrows tom petty’s guitar for ‘american girl’ video, drive-by truckers announce ‘southern rock opera re-visited’ tour, quavo announces $100k ‘spark grants’ program to support minimizing gun violence, elton john adds further 2023 uk dates to ‘farewell yellow brick road’ tour.

The pop legend will now play extra shows at The O2 Arena in London and the Utilita Arena, Birmingham.

Published on

Elton John has added two more dates to the 2023 UK final leg of his global ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour.

The pop legend will now play new dates at The O2 Arena in London on May 30, 2023 and the Utilita Arena, Birmingham on June 8, 2023.

Shop the best of Elton John’s discography on vinyl and more .

Ross Lynch, Lorde, And Timbaland: Currently Trending Songs

His tour restarts in Europe at the 3Arena in Dublin on March 28, 2023 following the completion of his stadium tour dates in North America, Australia and New Zealand. Earlier this summer he kicked off some UK dates in Norwich.

Tickets for the new shows go on sale this Friday (October 7) at 10am. Fans can join the Rocket Club here and get access to an exclusive pre-sale.

John’s tour shows “take his audience on a magical journey through his incredible 50-year career with never-before-seen-photos and videos, all set to the tune of some of Elton’s most beloved songs from his legendary catalogue”, a press release states.

Meanwhile, John and Britney Spears have shared the music video for their recent collaborative single , “Hold Me Closer”, and revealed the details for three CD single releases.

Elton John’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ UK and Ireland 2023 tour dates are as follows:

APRIL Sunday 02 – The O2, London Tuesday 04 – The O2, London Wednesday 05 – The O2, London Saturday 08 – The O2, London Sunday 09 – The O2, London Wednesday 12 – The O2, London Thursday 13 – The O2, London Sunday 16 – The O2, London Monday 17 – The O2, London Wednesday 19 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham Saturday 22 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool Sunday 23 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

MAY Tuesday 30 – The O2, London – NEW SHOW Wednesday 31 – AO Arena, Manchester

JUNE Friday 02 – AO Arena, Manchester Saturday 03 – AO Arena, Manchester Tuesday 06 – First Direct Arena, Leeds Thursday 08 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham – NEW SHOW Saturday 10 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham Sunday 11 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham Tuesday 13 – P&J Live, Aberdeen Thursday 15 – P&J Live, Aberdeen Saturday 17 – The SSE Hydro, Glasgow Sunday 18 – The SSE Hydro, Glasgow.

Listen to the best of Elton John on Apple Music and Spotify .

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Elton John review, O2 Arena: A dazzling, emotional goodbye from one of history’s greatest showmen

What could have been a cheap final cash-in turns out to be a rich origin story for the nostalgic singer, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music

Get our now hear this email for free, thanks for signing up to the roisin o’connor’s email.

In the reflected light of Elton John’s diamond-studded lapels, aided by the hundreds of flashing pairs of Elton specs out in the arena, the end of the road – yellow brick, naturally – is in sight. We’ve fallen for the arena-filling farewell tour scam so often now that it’s an industry joke – Roger Waters is currently on what’s nudgingly billed as his first. But five years and almost 300 shows into Elton John ’s globe straddling long goodbye – Farewell Yellow Brick Road, the highest-grossing tour in history – it’s hard to doubt Sir Reg’s sincerity.

“I need to be with my family,” the ultimate piano man tells the O2 Arena as he says his goodbyes, gazing back fondly at his 500-plus UK shows over 52 years, and forward to his purported final gig in Sweden in July, via a Glastonbury headline set. “I’ve done enough schlepping in my lifetime.”

At 76, the fourth best-selling artist of all time intends to leave us with a sepia portrait of himself as a far younger man. The setlist is almost entirely drawn from his first nine albums; only four of its 23 songs date post-1975, and those come slathered in nostalgia. “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues”, its overblown arrangement emphasising its fundamental Chas & Dave-ness, comes accompanied by pictures of Seventies couples losing interest in each other; “I’m Still Standing” by a collage of showman Eltons through the ages, from rising phoenix to Louis XIV. For the rest, he time-warps us back to that early Seventies period when one in 50 records sold worldwide were Elton’s, and he bestrode the world’s stage decked out, more often than not, like the Mayor of Munchkinland.

As a diamond bust of himself gazes down from the stage-wide screen – as it has, in effect, over pop culture for five decades – Elton and his formidable band of besuited drummers and double-necked guitarists pile into the plodding brilliance of “Bennie and the Jets”, the glitzy boogie of “Philadelphia Freedom” and a rare “Border Song” dedicated to Aretha Franklin and set to images of human rights champions across history: Franklin, John and Yoko, Mandela, Pussy Riot. This is no cursory plough through the obligatory hits, then, but a deep-ish dive into the foundational era of the grandmaster of the bellow ballad and king of the bespectacled boogie. For every “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” or “The B**** is Back”, there’s a sultry noir “Have Mercy on the Criminal”, 1970’s piano prog powerhouse “Burn Down the Mission”, or a high-drama “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” about Elton’s 1968 suicide attempt. What could have been a cheap final cash-in turns out to be a rich origin story.

Hits do abound, of course. “Tiny Dancer” appears early as testament to a craftsmanship that would be almost unthinkable in today’s please-the-algorithm age, building sonic tension over several minutes to a timeless pay-off of a chorus, delivered with a smile that’s pure Vegas. The crowds, clad in their spangliest frocks and blazers for the occasion, rise to bask in the fireworks of “Rocket Man”’s celestial gospel. “Candle in the Wind” literally glides along – Elton’s motorised piano does a full circuit of the stage while he’s playing it. The rock ballast of “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” neatly counteracts “Crocodile Rock”’s corny boogie, and the transcendent emotion of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is only slightly marred by the mass brawl that breaks out in block B2. Sunday night’s perfectly acceptable too, it appears.

Recommended

• ‘Like James Bond playing strip poker in a sex dungeon’: Pulp’s This is Hardcore at 25
• boygenius, the record review: Indie supergroup are greater than the sum of their parts on spectacular debut
• Irish artist Nell Mescal performs new single ‘In My Head’ for Music Box session #69

Elton’s occasional pub singer tendency to bark rough approximations of his lyrics muddies “Levon” and “Take Me to the Pilot”, but he otherwise seems utterly rejuvenated by the performance. After each major tune, he punches the air or flexes his biceps like he’s just KO’d Tyson Fury – you’d think he could crack on for another 50 years or so. As he emerges for the encore in a jewel-studded dressing gown for a karaoke duet with a virtual Dua Lipa on “Cold Heart” – his disco-fied “Sacrifice” – the final curtain clearly beckons, and we’re in for a teary send-off. Tonight, 52 years in, “Your Song” proves itself still capable of giving the gods goosebumps and a bitter-sweet “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” closes, in typically irreverent fashion, with Elton riding a stairlift to the stars. There’ll be musical life beyond the yellow brick road, he promises, but the stage will certainly seem bereft without one of history’s greatest showmen.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

• facebook-rs

Elton John Announces Final North American Dates for ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ Tour

By Althea Legaspi

Althea Legaspi

Elton John has announced the final North American leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which takes place in 2022.

The new dates kick off at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 15th and culminate with a two-night stint at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 19th and 20th. Tickets go on sale on June 30th, with presale tickets available to American Express card members beginning on Wednesday at noon local time.

“Hello, all you wonderful fans out there. I’m coming to you today with an announcement I’ve been working towards for, well, all my life: The shows that I announce today will be my final tour dates ever in North America and Europe,” John said in a statement. “I’m going to go out in the biggest possible way, performing at my very best, with the most spectacular production I’ve ever had, playing in places that have meant so much to me throughout my career.”

In September, John announced makeup dates for the tour, which was postponed due to the pandemic. The rescheduled trek runs from January through April. The newly announced final dates include 30 stadium shows, with a run of performances in Europe from May to June before he heads to North America. Tickets to those dates sold out quickly but there are seats available through VividSeats.com .

John launched the  Farewell Yellow Brick Road  tour in September 2018 in  Allentown, Pennsylvania . It was originally slated to run for three years, but the pandemic forced it off the road in March 2020. Two Auckland, New Zealand, shows are also planned for January 27th and 28th, 2023, with the four-year tour concluding sometime in 2023 in Australia with a string of shows to be announced at a later date.

“Whether it’s next summer in Frankfurt or at the legendary Dodger Stadium for the grand finale in the United States, I can’t wait to see you all on the road one last time,” John added. “This has been an incredible tour so far, full of the most amazing highs, and I look forward to making more wonderful memories with you at these final shows. To all my friends down under: We’ll be seeing you, too. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you in your town.”

Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour 2022 Final North American Dates July 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park July 18 –  Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park July 23 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium July 28 – Foxboro, MA @ Gillette Stadium July 30 – Cleveland, OH @ Progressive Field August 5 – Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field September 7 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre September 10 – Syracuse, NY @ Carrier Dome September 16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park September 18 – Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium September 22 – Atlanta, GA @  Mercedes-Benz Stadium September 24 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park September 30 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field October 2 – Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium October 21 –  Vancouver, BC @ BC Place October 29 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome November 4 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park November 12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Chase Field November 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger Stadium November 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger Stadium

Tyla Admits She 'Had No Idea' Who Nancy Pelosi Was When They Took a Pic at Grammys Party

• Who's She?
• By Tomás Mier

Nicole Zignago, Camilo Long for Lost Affection in 'Mimos' Video

At least 40 dead in attack at concert hall outside moscow.

• Moscow Attack
• By Jon Blistein

Kendrick Lamar Declares War — And Five Other Takeaways From ‘We Don’t Trust You’

• It's Like That
• By Andre Gee

Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra are Making a Classic 'Simpsons' Bit a Reality

• Insane in the Brain

Most Popular

Over 1,000 jewish creatives and professionals have now denounced jonathan glazer’s 'zone of interest' oscars speech in open letter (exclusive), james marsden, taran killam and stars who signed brian peck letters of support "devastated" drake bell, says dan schneider, rose hanbury just broke her silence on the prince william affair rumors, kobe bryant's parents face backlash after putting championship ring on the auction block, you might also like, sag-aftra ratifies contracts that limit use of ai voices in animated tv shows, hermès’ and mason rothschild’s legal battle over ‘metabirkins’ nfts continues, the best yoga blocks to support any practice, according to instructors, ‘x-men ’97’ amps up the retro 2d animation to combat a more dangerously divisive world, ivy league basketball is peaking during the transfer portal era.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

• Manage Account
• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Pinit
• + additional share options added
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Email
• Print this article
• Share this article on Comment
• Share this article on Tumblr

Elton John Breaks & Extends Records Atop January Boxscore Report

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour brought in another $40.9 million during the first month of 2023.

By Eric Frankenberg

Eric Frankenberg

Though the calendar year has flipped and Billboard ’s January Boxscore report celebrates the beginning of a new year in touring, the top of the charts carry over what became a constant toward the end of 2022. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Elton John ’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour earned $40.9 million during the month, securing his seventh at No. 1 on the Top Tours chart overall, and third in the last four months.

Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour Is the Highest-Grossing Concert Tour of…

Beyond extending his record for time atop the ranking, notably, January’s Oceania leg of John’s sprawling farewell tour pushed the entire run’s gross to $817.9 million – making it the highest grossing tour of all time . It surpasses Ed Sheeran ’s The Divide Tour ($776.4 million), which set the previous high mark in 2019, and U2 ’s The 360 Tour ($736.4 million), which had held the title since 2011.

Simultaneously, John leads the Top Boxscores chart with $11.3 million at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on Jan. 17-18. Since the charts launched in February 2019, it’s the ninth time an artist has ruled both rankings, and the second for John, who first did so in January 2020. BTS is the only other act to double-up twice.

John’s $40-million January breaks down to two stadiums shows apiece in Newcastle (Jan. 9, 11), Melbourne (Jan. 14-15) and Sydney (Jan. 18-19), plus single shows in Brisbane (Jan. 22) and Christchurch (Jan. 25).

Not only does John crown the Boxscores ranking, he follows himself at Nos. 2 (Melbourne), 4 (Newcastle), 6 (Brisbane), and 11 (Christchurch). Blanketing the chart with four top 10 appearances, he set himself apart from the pack in stadiums during Australia and New Zealand’s summer, while the Northern winter kept last year’s holdovers dormant and 2023’s from beginning later into the spring.

The strategy does extend to the Red Hot Chili Peppers at No. 2 on Top Tours and at Nos. 5, 9 and 12 on Top Boxscores. The funk-pop-rock band earned $15.1 million from the first three of its Oceania shows, with five more to chart in February. This follows the $59.6 million in Europe and $117.4 million in North America last year, playing stadiums in both continents during the warmth of June through September.

With far less history in Oceania than on the Western hemisphere, the Chili Peppers enlisted Post Malone to join the January and February shows. The bulked-up billing helped transform the band from an arena act to a stadium act in the region, having last reported shows in Oceania on 2007’s Stadium Arcadium Tour. Audience in Auckland flipped from 22,000 in ’07 to 48,000 in 2023, while Brisbane’s crowd grew from 22,000 to 40,000.

Playing Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium just a week after John, the two combined for $13.9 million and 91,000 tickets sold, enough to be the top grossing venue of the month worldwide.

On the Top Venues, 15,001+ capacity chart, Suncorp is followed by Sydney’s Allianz Stadium and Melbourne’s AAMI Park at Nos. 2-3, respectively, plus Manchester’s McDonald Jones Stadium at No. 6, forming a powerful Oceania block over western mainstays like the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (No. 4), the O2 Arena in London (No. 5) and Madison Square Garden in New York (No. 8).

Continuing the 2022 carryover at the head of Top Tours, Harry Styles is No. 3, after finishing at No. 4 on last year’s annual recap. He earned $12.4 million from 62,000 tickets sold, all from four arena dates. On Jan. 26-27 and 29, Styles played the final three dates of his 15-show mini-residency at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Those dates grossed $9.6 million and pushed the entire Inglewood run to a gross of $47.8 million, making it the fifth-highest grossing headline engagement in Boxscore history.

Additionally, Styles played two shows at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif. One of those shows, played on Jan. 31, counts toward his monthly total, and the other, played on Feb. 1, will count toward his February earnings.

While January typically is a lull between the final dates of major tours in November and December and the opening nights for the year’s biggest attractions in February and March, January 2023 proved that there are ways to kick off the year in style, pun intended. From John and the Chili Peppers going to Australia, to The 1975 and Future conducting brief, monthlong runs before calendars get too packed, January can be a sneaky time for sleeper ticket sales.

Further flagged by Omicron-era woes, the January 2021 Top Tours chart featured six tours above $5 million, 18 above $1 million, and cut off the 30-position ranking at $548,000. One year later, those numbers improve to eight, 28, and $975,000.

A version of this story originally appeared in the Feb. 25, 2023, issue of Billboard.

Daily newsletters straight to your inbox

More From Pro

Tencent music, spotify & other streamers lead music stocks as legacy broadcasters fall short.

• By Glenn Peoples

In Canada: Streaming Manipulation Sites Shut Down, Ex-Warner Music A&R Head Starts Management Firm

• By Rosie Long Decter , Richard Trapunski

Why Are IFPI & MIDiA’s 2023 Revenue Figures So Far Apart? The Answer Lies in ‘Expanded Rights’

With major label deals expiring, will beloved alt bands go indie again.

• By Elias Leight

Tenacious D’s Britney Spears Cover Tops Rock Digital Song Sales Chart

• By Kevin Rutherford

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Culture Expand culture menu

Media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Honda Music Expand honda-music menu

• Rocket Club

Goodbye Peachtree Road

Christie's announces auction and exhibition of Elton's collection

Whilst the end of one chapter, it is the beginning of the next.

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour

Sunglasses and Eyewear Shop

Elton John Eyewear

February 16, 2024

Fan favourites from Goodbye Peachtree Road

February 5, 2024

Elton John’s New York City: a Guide

January 24, 2024

“Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories Of My Life On Tour” set for release

Diamonds: Exclusive Picture Disc Vinyl LP

Diamonds 3CD

Diamonds: Deluxe

Diamonds 2LP

April 21, 2023

‘Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player’ – Inside the Studio and On the Charts

Continue to eltonjohn.com

Become a Rocket Club member and exclusive news will make its way directly to your inbox. Be the first to know where Elton will perform next and get your hands on pre-sale tickets.

I agree to Elton John’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Elton John Unveils Final North American Tour Dates

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

• BMAC Panel Examines Black Artists’ Challenges in Nashville, Asks Whether Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Will Help or Hinder Country Artists of Color 7 hours ago
• Ryan Tedder on the Success of His Runner Music, Which Recently Scored Three Top 20 Songs and a Super Bowl Ad 2 days ago
• Mitski, Killer Mike, Caroline Polachek Lead A2IM Libera Awards Nominees 2 days ago

On the heels of Elton John ’s 75th birthday, the singer and AEG Presents have unveiled the final North American dates of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road The Final Tour.” The announcement promises that the 11 new dates “mark the final shows added to his North American tour.”

The new dates include additional performances in East Rutherford, NJ; Foxborough, MA; Toronto,; Vancouver, BC; and Phoenix,  along with a third show added at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Concerts in San Diego, Santa Clara, CA, and Tacoma, WA, have also been added.

Elton John’s final North American show – a return to the site of what is arguably his most iconic performance, Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium – on November 20 will be his 2,000th  U.S. concert, capping off a touring run that’s seen him play all 50 states, alongside 108 shows alone in top markets like New York City. Over a staggering 52 years of live performances, Elton has played for tens of millions of fans worldwide, and has broken multiple attendance and box-office records throughout his career, hitting an unrivaled apex that is sure to remain unchallenged for years to come. The past year has also seen Elton return to the recorded music charts with his smash hit “Cold Heart (PNAU REMIX),” which hit #7 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and  #1 on its Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, as well as charting at #1 on the U.K. singles chart upon its release.

Elton John begins his final run of dates in North America in Philadelphia, PA on July 15, finishing with the three-night engagement at Dodger Stadium November 17, 19 and 20.

2023 kicks off with two shows in Auckland, New Zealand on January 27 and 28, and soon-to-be-announced dates in Australia before the epic 5-year tour formally concludes in Stockholm, Sweden on July 8, 2023.

Elton posted today on his socials, “It’s hard to believe that after tomorrow in St. Louis, I’ll have just a handful of shows left before I wrap up my final arena performances in the United States. This year will see my grand finale in North America, playing stadiums all around the country, with the most spectacular production I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing this journey with me.  I cherish these memories we’re making together. It has been nothing short of incredible and I look forward to seeing you very soon one last time, on my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”

NEWLY ANNOUNCED NORTH AMERICAN STADIUM DATES Sunday, July 24, 2022               East Rutherford, NJ                  MetLife Stadium Wednesday, July 27, 2022         Foxborough, MA                      Gillette Stadium Thursday, September 8, 2022    Toronto, ON                            Rogers Centre Tuesday, September 13, 2022    Charleston, SC                         Credit One Stadium Saturday, October 8, 2022         Santa Clara, CA                        Levi’s® Stadium Sunday, October 16, 2022         Tacoma, WA                            Tacoma Dome Monday, October 17, 2022        Tacoma, WA                            Tacoma Dome Saturday, October 22, 2022       Vancouver, BC                         BC Place Wednesday, November 9, 2022 San Diego, CA                         Petco Park Friday, November 11,2022        Phoenix, AZ                             Chase Field Thursday, November 17, 2022  Los Angeles, CA                      Dodger Stadium

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED NORTH AMERICAN STADIUM  DATES Friday, July 15, 2022                Philadelphia, PA           Citizens Bank Park Monday, July 18, 2022             Detroit, MI                   Comerica Park Saturday, July 23, 2022             East Rutherford, NJ      MetLife Stadium Thursday, July 28, 2022            Foxborough, MA          Gillette Stadium Saturday, July 30, 2022             Cleveland, OH             Progressive Field Friday, August 5, 2022             Chicago, IL                  Soldier Field Wednesday, September 7, 2022 Toronto, ON                Rogers Centre Saturday, September 10, 2022   Syracuse, NY               Carrier Dome Friday, September 16, 2022       Pittsburgh, PA              PNC Park Sunday, September 18, 2022     Charlotte, NC               Bank of America Stadium Thursday, September 22, 2022  Atlanta, GA                  Mercedes-Benz Stadium Saturday, September 24, 2022   Washington, DC           Nationals Park Friday, September 30, 2022       Arlington, TX               Globe Life Field Sunday, October 2, 2022           Nashville, TN               Nissan Stadium Friday, October 21, 2022          Vancouver, BC             BC Place Saturday, October 29, 2022       San Antonio, TX          Alamodome Friday, November 4, 2022         Houston, TX                Minute Maid Park Saturday, November 12, 2022   Phoenix, AZ                 Chase Field Saturday, November 19, 2022   Los Angeles, CA          Dodger Stadium Sunday, November 20, 2022     Los Angeles, CA          Dodger Stadium

More From Our Brands

Shohei ohtani interpreter’s bombshell gambling scandal: what we know so far, winnie harlow seeks $3.7 million for modern farmhouse-style l.a. estate, ivy league basketball is peaking during the transfer portal era, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, foundation recasts the mule for season 3 with game of thrones actor, verify it's you, please log in.

Your cart is empty

Time to fill up the cart

Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour 2023

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Elton John: a rollicking, joyous show from rock’s last true survivor – in Australia for the final time

The megastar has long had a special relationship to the country – and on his final shows in Sydney, among his last ever tour, his fans relished every second

• Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email

“I can’t tell you how good it feels to have a hit single at 75,” says Elton John , as his famous grin flashes at the stadium crowd gathered for his last ever shows in Sydney. He’s in the midst of his final tour of Australia, in the city that has long been his home away from home, going back to the 1980s.

“Hit single” might be somewhat underselling the globe-conquering ubiquitousness of Cold Heart , a reimagining of several of his classic songs seamlessly combined into a wholly unreasonable banger by Australian producers Pnau, who get a shout-out from the stage. “Things are really good in my life,” he says from where he is seated at the piano, playfully conducting everyone’s dancing in a manner that can only be described as adorable. This is the start of the final encore, and he is wearing a diamante-embroidered kimono over a tracksuit bearing his name. Elton John can, does and always has done exactly what he wants; and if you think that time may have even slightly wearied him, you would be very, very wrong.

For the previous two-plus hours, John and his band of fellow virtuoso journeymen musicians have raucously stomped and wailed through one of rock’s most hit-riddled catalogues, almost without pause. Perhaps so as not to upstage the sartorial magnificence of their leader, the rest are dressed in black suits and skinny ties, like the world’s jauntiest Reservoir Dogs. The core trio of Elton John, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone remain, and play together with the osmosis that more than 40 years of shared musicianship will bestow. Augmented by a small orchestra of percussion and additional keys, the absolute racket they are making is ungodly. Bringing the audience to heel with that opening chord of Bennie and the Jets, straight off the bat there will be no dilly-dallying! If you’re going to start a show with that minor little smash, then stick around: they’ll kill the fatted calf tonight.

Australia has housed a huge Elton John fanbase for decades – the only places he has played more often are the US and UK. In recent years he likes spending his family Christmas here, he tells us – but there’s much more to it than that . He had career-saving throat surgery in Sydney in the 1980s; launched a record there at the Hilton hotel; delighted in the offerings of Harry’s Cafe de Wheels ; and in Melbourne, produced a truly bonkers – even for him – documentary about a gig with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

These were his years of unfettered excess (which would eventually land him in rehab), during which he made the video for the cuttingly brutal breakup anthem I’m Still Standing on the French Riviera with Australian director Russell Mulcahy. That production could well have been powered by the pure, pharmaceutical-grade cocaine he writes repeatedly about using in his memoir ( someone stole Elton’s car on the shoot – and that was before Duran Duran showed up ). Then there was the time, as detailed in Me , that – while supremely wasted – he bought a tram in Melbourne that had to be delivered to his British estate by Chinook helicopter, the details of which he does not precisely remember. If one is to be a rock star, that’s how to do it properly.

Those hellion days long in the past (now sober, happily married and a father of two), Elton John is before us on this stage as rock’s last true survivor. The band tear through a set list of mostly his golden era 70s material, when he was giving some of the loudest prog and glam rock bands of the time a good run for their money with psychedelic wig-outs such as Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (played to its full, rock-opera 10 minutes), Levon, and the very deep cut, Have Mercy On the Criminal. His downshift in vocal range sees some new arrangements for Tiny Dancer and Rocket Man – during the latter of which his immensely powerful reverberating baritone fills the bowels of the arena and lodges itself firmly in the listener’s chest.

These songs have soundtracked my entire life since childhood: Philadelphia Freedom, Candle in the Wind, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me. These are the sounds of my parents’ kitchen, as familiar to me as any nursery rhyme. They feel part of my DNA, staying with me right up until these two nights. What it is, to be a fan.

By the time Your Song comes around as the second-last of the night, the emotions are spilling out of the crowd. Your Song, if you don’t know the story, was, like almost every Elton John song, written in only about 10 minutes . Bernie Taupin’s lyrics were penned when they were two very young men of 23, working their guts out in the hope of becoming successful songwriters. Living together in a tiny London flat, its words of such pure sentiment – but not sentimentality – are transformed by the knowledge that in the intervening 50 years, this song has gone on to become one of the most enduring paeans to love of all time. He glances briefly up from his piano as he sings, “And you can tell everybody, that this is your song,” as the roar becomes deafening. I still have tears on my shirt.

With this we know that for the very last time, this man of incredible, generous, irreplaceable genius will never play this stage for us again. “Be kind to each other,” he says, thanking his fans for staying his course. On his second night in Sydney (yes, I went to both), the floor crowd is being covered in sheets of rain lit by the lights of the stage as if it were a deliberate part of the show. Something like this can only end on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and as the final harmonies between he and his band ring in the air, Elton John walks off the stage and into the next phase of his life, as we walk away into the night, saturated, knowing why the man perhaps least likely to have become an international megastar was always destined to be just that.

So here’s to you, Sir Elton Hercules John, Reggie Dwight, Captain Fantastic, Sharon ( to Rod Stewart ), the Royal Academy of Music’s most flamboyant graduate, Nasa’s number one Rocket Man – your like will never come around again.

Elton John’s final Australian tour concludes at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 21 January , followed by dates in New Zealand and Europe

• Pop and rock

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

more options & shortcuts »

Register/Log in

Library of Articles

• Library: Articles

Annie Lennox, James Hetfield & More Sing Elton John & Bernie Taupin’s Praises at 2024 Gershwin Prize Concert

Artists at the event also tell billboard which of the duo's songs are their favorites..

by Cathy Applefeld Olson Billboard March 21, 2023

Mike Inez, James Hetfield, Robert Trujillo, Billy Porter, David Furnish, Charlie Puth, Jacob Lusk, Joni Mitchell, Monique Ross, Carmen Carter, Brandi Carlile, Kenneth Ehrlich, Honorees Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Chauntee Ross, Adam Chester, Davey Johnstone, Georgey Taupin, Heather Taupin, Annie Lennox, Maren Morris, Nigel Olsson, Kirk Hammett, and Ken Stacey pose onstage during the Library Of Congress 2024 Gershwin Prize For Popular Song at DAR Constitution Hall on March 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage) Taylor Hill/WireImage

The stars not only shone over the nation's capital on Wednesday (March 20), when Elton John and Bernie Taupin were honored with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song - they sparkled, glistened and danced.

Only the third writing team - and only the second and third Brits - to receive the honor from the Library of Congress, the acclaimed duo brought a diversity of artists to the stage at DAR Constitution Hall. Joining the serenade were 2020 Gershwin Prize honoree Garth Brooks, Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox, Metallica, Maren Morris, Billy Porter, Charlie Puth and Jacob Lusk of Gabriels. 2023 honoree Joni Mitchell turned "I'm Still Standing" into a simmering jazz number. All but Metallica were backed by John's own band.

What united the performers were their musical chops and their sheer, unabashed delight to be feting two of their musical heroes. It was a joy matched only by John and Taupin, seated front and center with their families, who could be seen grooving along, hands in the air.

John took a seat at the piano toward the end of the evening to gift the crowd with a trio of songs: "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and closer "Your Song," performed as Taupin stood piano-side. Porter emceed the event, which will be broadcast on PBS on April 8.

Before showtime, Billboard caught up with some of the night's performers - including the men of the hour - on the red carpet. From their inspirations to their favorite songs, here's what they had to say:

Elton John & Bernie Taupin

Billboard asked the honorees to each share their favorite George and Ira Gershwin song, and they not only picked the same one, but started finishing each other's sentences.

John cited "Someone to Watch Over Me" (which he recorded for the all-star 1994 album The Glory of Gershwin) without a second's hesitation, to which Taupin immediately responded, "You just took the words right out of my mouth. It's such a beautiful song, the lyrics, everything about it are incredible. It's the epitome of the great American song."

"I'm a little lamb who's lost in the woods - it's amazing," chimed in John, quoting a lyric.

On the diversity of artists taking the stage to perform their music, John said it's a testament to the range of their songs. "There's not a genre of music we don't love. The longevity of our career has been because the songs vary, and the songs last because they cover different territories. 'Philadelphia Freedom' is not like 'Burn Down the Mission.' 'Daniel' is not like 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting.'"

"Our palette is full of colors," Taupin added. His favorite song they're written together? "Probably 'Sacrifice' is my favorite."

Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox, who is no stranger to political activism and philanthropy, was quick to praise John for his activism. "He's lived his life in a hugely public way, he's taken huge risks and he seems to be very comfortable with his fame," she said. "But he's used it in a way that's made massive global differences in really significant areas. HIV and AIDS is a massive challenge, and yet, Elton has been and is still saving lives. I have so much respect for him."

Picking a favorite of the dynamic duo's songs proved harder to pinpoint. "I'll give you 'Rocket Man,' I'll give you 'Your Song.' I'll give you 'Daniel.' I think I'll give you the whole catalog, to be honest," she told Billboard. "It's very hard to find a song in that whole catalog that isn't as good as the next. Each one is phenomenal."

As for her own music, Lennox hinted there may be more on the way. "The one thing that is difficult for me is touring. That's something I did constantly, and at my age, physically, it's too demanding. But I think there might be other waus to share my music and the music I'm probably going to be making in the future. I haven't stopped."

Song performed: "Border Song"

Metallica's James Hetfield

James Hetfield may rock hard as lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and a primary songwriter of Metallica, but when it comes to his desert island John-Taupin song, he's all in for one of the duo's most poetic tracks. "That would be 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,'" he said. "It's beautiful, it's epic - and I love the lyrics as well. The castle, the wonderful dust ... and what does it mean after that."

Songs performed: "Funeral for a Friend"/"Love Lies Bleeding"

Maren Morris

Morris had nothing but adoration for the honorees pre-show. "I love both of them so much," she said. "Bernie has come to every show I've had in L.A., and his family is so lovely; and it's wonderful being here tonight. I feel like this is certainly the longest partnership in songwriting history. It's amazing they've been able to nurture it for many decades. When you find a partner you have chemistry with, lyrically, musically and can grow through the years with one another, there's nothing more special."

She said her gateway to the Elton John songbook was The Lion King (he and lyricist Tim Rice wrote the music for the 1994 film, including hits "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Circle of Life"). "I have to be frank about my age," she laughed. But once she dug in, it was Taupin's lyrics in "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" from the 1972 album Honky Château that's resonated the most. "'Mona Lisa,' when I first moved to Nashville, had the most tremendous impact on me - just about being sort of alone in a city," she said. "Bernie wrote that about New York City, obviously, but I heard Nashville in it. You eventually find a community of friendships and make your own town out of it."

Song performed: "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"

Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile was emotional on the red carpet as she described what it meant to be celebrating her friends. "It's bringing me back to a time in my life when I really needed Elton and Bernie. I needed their words and I needed them to help sculpt my world view, and show me a future I could be a part of," she said. "And so it's going to be heavy for me tonight, but I'm so proud of them. The Gershwin Prize is the highest honor in songwriting, and it's really beautiful to see them honored in such a profound way for their craft. I don't know that there's ever been anybody better than Elton John and Bernie Taupin."

Songs performed: "Madman Across the Water" and "Skyline Pigeon"

Billy Porter

"Bennie and the Jets" is the song that first grabbed Porter, he told Billboard, but his connection to Elton John transcended the music. "I was really young, yet really connected with him," he said. "And didn't know why. The eccentricity, the flamboyance, the fun. It was like, 'Oh, that's queer.' There was no language for it, but that's what it was, and eventually, that's what we all came to understand. That was the first connection."

Song performed: "The Bitch Is Back"

Copyright protected material on this website is used in accordance with 'Fair Use', for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis, and will be removed at the request of the copyright owner(s). Please read Notice and Procedure for Making Claims of Copyright Infringement . Added to Library on March 21, 2024. (149)

Log in to make a comment

JoniMitchell.com

Register / Login

Translate this page:

• Give us feedback
• Permissions
• Copyright Claims

Follow Joni Mitchell

• Website Design by Raffaele Malanga at Far Studios
• CSS and HTML wizardry by Els
• Programming by FrontRange360

Elton John’s update after farewell tour: ‘I will never be touring again, but I may do something in the future’

Sir Elton John has taken a while to “adjust” to life without touring.

The 76-year-old singer finished his Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert series last summer, five years after it began, and he admitted he is only just getting to grips with life at home with husband David Furnish and their sons Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11.

He told Extra : “After you run around the world nonstop for practically your whole life, it did take a while [to adjust,] but we’re settling in now.”

But the Tiny Dancer singer isn’t slowing down as he’s got a number of work projects in the pipeline, though he is enjoying being around his sons more.

“We’re doing lots of creative things — musicals and stuff like that. I still have my finger on the pulse, running around. We’re spending more time with our kids.”

John is working on two musicals, one Broadway show about late TV evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, and an adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada .

“One has taken 12 years, one has taken eight years … They’re still not ready to go yet because we have a lot of work to do … They will be ready, but you have to be patient,” he said.

”I do like writing them because it’s a collaboration with a lot of people. It takes a long time to [bring] to the stage.”

And because he’s busy with the shows, fans shouldn’t expect a new album from John in the near future.

“I have no plans to do something this year with that.

”There’s a lot going on this year, but nothing we can’t handle.”

The Your Song hitmaker completed his 330-date tour in Sweden last July and told the audience he might do “something else”, but for the time being just wanted to enjoy a break.

• Elton John, 76, rushed to hospital after fall at home ...
• Sir Elton John is selling his home in Atlanta for almost ...
• Laneway, Elton John cancelled: What you need to know ...
• Emmy awards 2024: How Kiwis can watch and Sir Elton ...

He said: “I’ve had the most wonderful career, beyond belief.

”Fifty-two years of pure joy playing music. How lucky am I to play music?

”You know how much I love to play live. It’s been my lifeblood to play for you guys.

”You’ve been absolutely magnificent. I will never be touring again , but I may do something in the future — a one-off thing — but that’s miles away.

”I want to appreciate my family, my sons, my husband, everything. I’ve earned it.”

Celebrity News March 22, 2024

Elton john gives status update on his 2 broadway musicals (exclusive).

Elton John has two Broadway musicals in the works, and recently opened up about the productions on “Extra: The Podcast.” Listen here !

While speaking with “Extra” at a dinner honoring Julia Roberts’ collab with Chopard, Elton dished on how they are coming along.

The musicals include one on the late Tammy Faye Bakker, and an adaptation of “The Devil Wears Prada” with Vanessa Williams playing Miranda Priestly.

He shared, “One has taken 12 years, one has taken eight years… They're still not ready to go yet because we have a lot of work to do… They will be ready, but you have to be patient.”

Elton loves working on musicals, saying, “I do like writing them because it’s a collaboration with a lot of people. It takes a long time to [bring] to the stage.”

The musicals are among his creative outlets, as he adjusts to giving up life on the road.

He said, “After you run around the world nonstop for practically your whole life, it did take a while [to adjust,] but we’re settling in now.”

Just eight months ago, Elton gave his final concert, at Los Angeles landmark Dodger Stadium, which was captured for a Disney+ concert film.

John may be done with touring, but he's not leading a quiet life at home with husband David Furnish and their two sons.

He dished, “We’re doing lots of creative things — musicals and stuff like that. I still have my finger on the pulse, running around. We're spending more time with our kids.”

To hear the full interview, you can also download this week’s “Extra: The Podcast” on the Audacy app and everywhere podcasts are available. New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays.

More in Celebrity News

Cameron Diaz & Benji Madden Welcome Baby #2

Denise Richards Jokingly Compares ‘Hunting Housewives’ to Surviving ‘RHOBH’ Reunion (Exclusive)

Celebrities React to Kate Middleton’s Cancer Revelation

Naomi Campbell Says Daughter Is Her Boss Now! (Exclusive)

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Send Well-Wishes to Kate Middleton Amid Cancer Battle

King Charles Praises Kate Middleton’s Courage for Cancer Revelation

Extra hot galleries.

The 55th Annual NAACP Image Awards: Red-Carpet Pics!

Stars hit the red carpet at the 55th Annual NAACP Image Awards!

Oscars 2024: Show Photos

See all the pics from inside the 2024 Oscars!

Oscars 2024: Red Carpet Pics!

Stars hit the red carpet at the 2024 Oscars!

The CHANEL and Charles Finch Annual Pre-Oscar Dinner

On the eve of the Oscars, stars hit up the CHANEL and Charles Finch Annual Pre-Oscar Dinner.

Saint Laurent x Vanity Fair x NBCUniversal Dinner to Celebrate 'Oppenheimer'

Stars stepped out ahead of the Oscars for the Saint Laurent x Vanity Fair x NBCUniversal dinner and party ...

W Magazine & Louis Vuitton's Academy Awards Dinner

Stars step out ahead of the 2024 Oscars for the W Magazine and Louis Vuitton Academy Awards Dinner.

• Entertainment

As Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Hits One Year, Let’s Take a Look at Its Staggering Numbers

O n March 17, it will officially have been one year since Taylor Swift's Eras Tour kicked off in Glendale, Ariz. In the 12 months since that fateful first show, Swift has broken untold records , made history as TIME's 2023 Person of the Year , cultivated a new legion of NFL fans , and announced her forthcoming 11th studio album— The Tortured Poets Department , out April 19—among a litany of other accomplishments.

By the end of 2023—less than halfway through its scheduled 152-show run—the Eras Tour had earned over $1 billion to become the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. During that period, every city where Swift played got a substantial economic boost from the so-called "Taylor Swift effect," a term that refers to the singer's unprecedented ability to influence consumer behavior. Following the inaugural U.S. leg of Eras, the U.S. Travel Association estimated that the tour's total economic impact likely exceeded $10 billion.

In the new year, Swift's staggering popularity seems to somehow still be on the rise. Less than a week after watching her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, win the Super Bowl, Swift played to the biggest concert crowd of her career while performing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia during the first run of 2024 Eras dates, following four shows in Tokyo.

In honor of the first anniversary of the start of the Eras Tour, we're taking a numerical look back at the biggest year of Swift's career to date.

Read More: 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift

Number of Eras shows and cities

Swift will have played 83 shows across 30 cities as of March 17. Of those shows, 53 took place in the U.S. in 20 different cities stateside. The remaining 30 were part of the Latin America and Asia-Pacific legs of the tour. By the end of 2024, Swift is set to play a grand total of 152 Eras shows across 54 cities worldwide.

Number of surprise songs

In addition to her 40-plus-song set list, Swift has played at least two "surprise songs" per Eras show. Taking repeats into account, she has performed 145 different tracks (counting mashups of repeat songs as unique entries) as her 167 surprise offerings.

Number of special guests

From MUNA to Sabrina Carpenter to Haim, Swift's Eras stops have featured 10 different opening acts. She has also brought out eight other special guests, from Maren Morris to frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, to join her on stage at various shows.

Number of people in attendance at her biggest show to date

Swift played three back-to-back shows at MCG on Feb. 16, 17, and 18 that were each attended by a record 96,000 people for a three-day total of 288,000 concertgoers. Ed Sheeran, who drew a crowd of around 109,500 each of the two nights he played at MCG in 2023, still holds the venue's single-night attendance record. But that's largely due to the fact that Swift's stage setup took up more room in the arena, cutting down on the number of available seats.

Number of Eras tickets sold

Swift sold an estimated 4.35 million tickets across 60 tour dates within concert trade publication Pollstar's chart year of Nov. 17, 2022 to Nov. 15, 2023. That's an average of 72,500 tickets per show, with each ticket costing an average of $238.95. Using those numbers to extrapolate across shows played since then, Swift has likely now sold around 6.02 million tickets.

Total Eras Tour gross

Based on the approximately $17.32 million in ticket revenue Pollstar estimates Swift earned for each of the first 60 Eras dates, her total tour gross currently sits somewhere around $1.44 billion. By the end of 2024, the tour is expected to have brought in an astronomical $2.165 billion. For comparison, the second-highest grossing tour of all time, Elton John’s multi-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, sold six million tickets over the course of 328 shows to earn $939 million.

Total Eras merch revenue

According to reports from different venues, Pollstar estimates Eras attendees were spending an average of $40 per person on merch at the first 60 Eras shows. That puts Swift's tour merch revenue at an estimated $240.8 million—not including non-concert day purchases—following her first run of 2024 Eras dates.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour box-office earnings

Since its Oct. 13 release in theaters, Swift's record-breaking three-and-a-half-hour concert film has grossed $180,756,269 in North America and $261,656,269 globally at the box office. An extended edition of the movie became available to rent via video on demand services on Swift's birthday, Dec. 13, followed by the longest and most complete version of the film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) , arriving on streaming on Disney+ March 14.

Number of new songs

Since the Eras Tour began, Swift has released two re-recorded albums, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and 1989 (Taylor's Version) , and one new single, "You're Losing Me (From the Vault)," for a total of 45 new songs (including re-recorded songs and vault tracks). In their first week of sales, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) , which featured one Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit, and 1989 (Taylor's Version) , which featured seven Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hits, sold 716,000 equivalent album units and 1.653 million equivalent album units, respectively. "You're Losing Me (From the Vault)" tallied 8.7 million official streams and sold 19,000 downloads in the U.S. in the first two days after its Nov. 29 debut, according to Luminate .

More Must-Reads From TIME

• Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
• Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
• The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
• Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
• The UAE Is on a Mission to Become an AI Power
• Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
• The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Write to Megan McCluskey at [email protected]

You May Also Like

See METALLICA cover ELTON JOHN at Gershwin Prize ceremony

Last night (March 20th),  Elton John  and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin accepted the 2024 Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize for their contributions to the history of music. 

They received the award at a grand ceremony where other bigwigs like Joni Mitchell, Garth Brooks, and yes, Metallica , performed tributes to John's beloved songwriting book. 

Metallica opened the whole invitation-only event with a heavy-metal rendition of "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," a classic cut from John's 1973 double-LP Goodbye Yellow Brick Road .  

Musically, the thrash titans might have been a bit out of place at the Gershwin Prize ceremony, but their inclusion on the bill made total sense. Metallica and John are long-time mutual admirers of one another. 

In fact, in 2021, John made James Hetfield cry when he said  'Tallica's "Black Album" standout "Nothing Else Matters" is "one of the best songs ever written." 

See Metallica pay it back with their cover of "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" below. 

"They're an inspiration to us," Hetfield told reporters before the ceremony, according to Stereogum . Kirk Hammett added, "They're responsible for some of the greatest songs of my childhood."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sophie Dhillit Metallica and Me (@sophiedhillit_metallica_and_me)

One of those things you thought you’d never see in Washington — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson head-bopping along to @Metallica at the @librarycongress #GershwinPrize for Elton John and Bernie Taupin. See it April 8 on @PBS . pic.twitter.com/lCJB27SjFx — Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) March 21, 2024

Hear APOCALYPTICA cover METALLICA's "The...

TORBEN ULRICH, LARS ULRICH's father, dead...

Fan poll: 5 best songs of 2023

Hear KUBLAI KHAN TX's crushing new song "Low Tech"

A PERFECT CIRCLE, PRIMUS and PUSCIFER announce 3-way split EP

Hear P.O.D.'s nu-metal power ballad "Lies We Tell Ourselves"

Hear OZZY wail on BILLY MORRISON's new song "Crack Cocaine"

Hear WAGE WAR's first new song in 3 years "Magnetic"

Fan poll: Top 5 BABYMETAL songs

Hear MELVINS' bonkers new song "Allergic to Food"

Hear PALLBEARER's first new song in 4 years

• Statistics Stats
• You are here:
• John, Elton
• April 16, 2023 Setlist

Elton John Setlist at The O2 Arena, London, England

• Edit setlist songs
• Edit venue & date

Edit set times

• Add to festival
• Report setlist

Tour: Farewell Yellow Brick Road World Tour Tour statistics Add setlist

• Song played from tape Good Morning to the Night Play Video
• Bennie and the Jets Play Video
• Philadelphia Freedom Play Video
• I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues Play Video
• Border Song Play Video
• Tiny Dancer Play Video
• Have Mercy on the Criminal Play Video
• Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) Play Video
• Take Me to the Pilot Play Video
• Someone Saved My Life Tonight Play Video
• Levon Play Video
• Candle in the Wind Play Video
• Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding Play Video
• Burn Down the Mission Play Video
• Sad Songs (Say So Much) Play Video
• Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me Play Video
• Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word Play Video
• The Bitch Is Back Play Video
• I'm Still Standing Play Video
• Crocodile Rock Play Video
• Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting Play Video
• Cold Heart Play Video
• Your Song Play Video
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Play Video

Edits and Comments

5 activities (last edit by ProgFan1 , 18 Apr 2023, 10:34 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Bennie and the Jets
• Candle in the Wind
• Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
• Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
• Border Song
• Take Me to the Pilot
• Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
• The Bitch Is Back
• Crocodile Rock
• Have Mercy on the Criminal
• Tiny Dancer
• I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
• I'm Still Standing
• Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
• Sad Songs (Say So Much)
• Someone Saved My Life Tonight
• Philadelphia Freedom
• Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
• Burn Down the Mission

Complete Album stats

More from this Artist

• More Setlists
• Artist Statistics
• Add setlist

Related News

Setlist History: John Lennon Joins Elton John for his Final Show

Madonna Kicks Off World Tour With Rarities

Muse Wraps Will of the People World Tour Smashingly in London

Setlist History: Elton John Retires For The First Time in 1977

Elton john gig timeline.

• Apr 12 2023 The O2 Arena London, England Start time: 7:40 PM 7:40 PM
• Apr 13 2023 The O2 Arena London, England Start time: 7:45 PM 7:45 PM
• Apr 16 2023 The O2 Arena This Setlist London, England Start time: 7:25 PM 7:25 PM
• Apr 17 2023 The O2 Arena London, England Start time: 7:40 PM 7:40 PM
• Apr 27 2023 Olympiahalle Munich, Germany Start time: 7:10 PM 7:10 PM

23 people were there

• ElectricVelvet
• fb:550330448
• JacobFaulkner
• markrodrigues
• mattsherbert
• nosferatastic
• peterandkaye
• SimonCurtis

Share or embed this setlist

Use this setlist for your event review and get all updates automatically!

<div style="text-align: center;" class="setlistImage"><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/elton-john/2023/the-o2-arena-london-england-73b886d5.html" title="Elton John Setlist The O2 Arena, London, England 2023, Farewell Yellow Brick Road World Tour" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.setlist.fm/widgets/setlist-image-v1?id=73b886d5" alt="Elton John Setlist The O2 Arena, London, England 2023, Farewell Yellow Brick Road World Tour" style="border: 0;" /></a> <div><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/edit?setlist=73b886d5&amp;step=song">Edit this setlist</a> | <a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/elton-john-63d6be6f.html">More Elton John setlists</a></div></div>

Last.fm Event Review

[url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/elton-john/2023/the-o2-arena-london-england-73b886d5.html][img]https://www.setlist.fm/widgets/setlist-image-v1?id=73b886d5[/img][/url] [url=https://www.setlist.fm/edit?setlist=73b886d5&amp;step=song]Edit this setlist[/url] | [url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/elton-john-63d6be6f.html]More Elton John setlists[/url]

Tour Update

Setlist insider: royal blood.

• Royal Blood
• Mar 21, 2024
• Mar 20, 2024
• Mar 19, 2024
• Mar 18, 2024
• Mar 17, 2024
• Mar 16, 2024
• FAQ | Help | About
• Terms of Service
• Ad Choices | Privacy Policy
• Feature requests
• Songtexte.com