GLASTONBURY, England (Reuters) – Elton John’s masterclass in big-stage entertainment at Glastonbury on Sunday pulled in 7.3 million television viewers for a show packed with hits like “Tiny Dancer”, “Rocket Man” and “Your Song” in his swansong performance in Britain.
John, 76, one of the biggest selling artists of all time, will bow out of touring following his current run of shows and chose the famous Pyramid stage at Britain’s leading festival to delight his home audience for a final time.
As well as the 100,000-plus crowd at Worthy Farm, 7.3 million people watched John’s show on the BBC, dwarfing the 2.5 million viewers who tuned in for Paul McCartney’s headline set last year, which was broadcast with a delay.
“Oh wow. I never thought I’d ever play Glastonbury. And here I am,” John told the crowd.
“It’s a very special and emotional night for me because it may be my last show ever in England and Great Britain.”
In a gold lame suit and his trademark quirky spectacles, John blasted out hits including “I’m Still Standing” and “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” in a performance rated five-star by most reviewers.
“Glastonbury certainly brought out the best in Elton John,” said the Times.
The Guardian called the set “miraculous” and said it was “rock history in the making”.
John has only a handful of shows left, with dates in France, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden over the last weeks of his farewell tour.
He has had one of the most glittering careers in show business, selling more than 300 million records worldwide, winning every industry award and raising millions of pounds for the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, writing by Sarah Young, editing by Ed Osmond)
