Music legend Elton John confirms he will quit touring after global farewell

MUSIC icon Elton John has confirmed that he will quit touring after a three-year global swan song, as he pledges to spend more time with his family.

AFTER much speculation, music legend Elton John announced overnight a final tour, saying he intends to stop travelling to spend more time with his family.

The 70-year-old British entertainer, revealing his plans at a gala New York event, said he planned to “go out with a bang” with a global tour that will open in September and last through 2021.

At a special event in New York, Elton John performed two songs before announcing he intends to retire from touring. Picture: AFP/Timothy A. Clary

“It will be the last time that I’m touring and travelling the world, because my priorities have changed,” John told several hundred journalists and guests after a mini-concert and virtual reality presentation about his career.

Saying he has had an “amazing life and amazing career,” he added: “My priorities now are my children and my husband and my family.”

John, who in the 1980s became one of the first openly gay major celebrities, has two children with his husband, Canadian filmmaker and former advertising executive David Furnish.

John said he had no health concerns and would stay active, hoping to record more albums and write further musicals.

“I will be creative, hopefully, until the day I die,” he said.

Music superstar Sir Elton John plays the final show of his Once in a Lifetime tour in Cairns last September. Picture: Brendan Radke

John, who closes his latest extravagant Las Vegas residency in May, said he was also open to concerts after the tour but that they would likely only be in his native Britain.

John was left in intensive care earlier in 2017 after being struck down with a “potentially deadly” bacterial infection while touring South America, but despite the major health scare, the star was in Australia in September 2017 for his Once in a Lifetime national tour taking in stadiums, regional cities and wineries.

Elton John is reportedly planning to retire from touring. Picture: AP/Markus Schreiber

In March last year, John revealed he would make a decision about his touring future.

The music icon admitted at the time that he was keen to spend more time with his children with long-term partner David Furnish, Zachary and Elijah.

The music legend wants to spend more time with his sons, Elijah Furnish-John and Zachary Furnish-John. Picture: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for EJAF

The chart-topping star said: “There will be a decision made in the next six months, probably. I will want to stop touring — not playing, but touring. Seventy isn’t 60, it’s not 50. I want to spend time with my boys.”

Originally published as Music legend Elton John confirms he will quit touring after global farewell