Elton John hails ‘lifeblood’ fans at final farewell show in Sweden

Surrounded by emotional fans from around the globe, Elton John gave his final farewell concert in Stockholm after more than 50 years of live performance.

Elton John star has been winding down his decades-long live career with a global farewell tour. He gave his final farewell in Sweden. Picture: Supplied

Surrounded by emotional fans from around the globe, Elton John hailed them as his “lifeblood” as he gave his final farewell concert in Stockholm after more than 50 years of live performance.

“You know how much I like to play live. It’s been my lifeblood to play for you guys, and you’ve been absolutely magnificent,” he told the delighted audience at the arena in the Swedish capital.

Wearing a tailcoat accented with rhinestones and with red glass in his trademark large spectacles, the 76-year-old pop superstar sat down at the piano shortly after 8pm to cheers to open his farewell show with one of his most popular songs, Bennie and the Jets. He continued with Philadelphia Freedom and I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues to a rapt audience, many of whom were wearing sparkling blue or red glasses.

Playing for more than two hours, John interspersed the songs with moments when he would get up and leave the piano to thank not only his fans but also his band and his crew, some of whom had been with him for more than 40 years.

“I want to pay tribute to these musicians ... They’re really incredible, they’ve been with me so long, some of them. And they are the best, I tell you, the best,” he said.

Shortly after a rendition of Border Song, which he dedicated to Aretha Franklin, his I’m Still Standing brought the 30,000 fans at the Tele2 Arena to their feet.

Before he took an encore, John screened a message from Coldplay, who were playing in the western Swedish city of Gothenburg, in which singer Chris Martin thanked him for his career and commitment.

Thank you for everything, Sir Elton 🚀 🩷 💫 pic.twitter.com/OOeqQhh3x8

— Coldplay (@coldplay) July 9, 2023

“It was amazing. I have no words right now because I haven’t processed all the show, but it was amazing,” said Anton Pohjonen, a 25-year-old bank worker from Finland.

“You almost start tearing up on his account. But then it feels great to be here,” added Swedish teacher Conny Johansson, who bought tickets for the show four years ago.

Excited fans were looking forward to an emotional end to the superstar’s glittering live career even before the curtain went up.

“It’s going to be very emotional tonight,” said Kate Bugaj, 25, a Polish student who admitted she had delayed her master’s exams to follow her musical hero’s tour.

Fifty-year-old Jeanie Kincer travelled from Kentucky in the US for the show. “I wanted to be here for the end because I was too young to be here in the beginning,” she said.

To mark the occasion, she was dressed in red shorts with braces and a red, yellow and brown T-shirt – almost the exact same outfit John wore for his first concert in Stockholm in 1971.

Sweden’s daily Expressen called the final show “an important chapter in the history of rock ‘n’ roll which is about to end”.

The star has been winding down his decades-long live career with a global farewell tour.

He played his last concerts in the US in May and brought the curtain down on Britain’s annual Glastonbury Festival in June.

Saturday’s farewell concert was the second consecutive evening the Stockholm stadium hosted the legendary British singer-songwriter for the last leg of his final tour, which began five years ago and was disrupted by Covid-19 and a hip operation in 2021.

Overall, the tour has seen John perform in front of some 6.25 million fans.

AFP