Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Elton John announces farewell tour

By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 25 January 2018

Elton John has announced that he is retiring from touring. Although not before he’s been out on a three year farewell tour.

The ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour is set to begin in the US in September this year, eventually reaching the UK in late 2020. The musician will play more than 300 shows in total, before concluding the venture in 2021.

He initially teased the announcement yesterday with the message on his website: “I’ve finally decided my future lies…” Which sort of sounds like he’s identified every lie he plans to tell in the future. He then subsequently announced his farewell tour via a virtual reality livestream on YouTube. We don’t know whether that was one of the lies. Though it if was, it would only be a virtual reality lie. So not a real lie. So let’s assume it’s happening.

“It’s time to come off the road so I can fully embrace the next important chapter of my life”, he said, before then talking about his next three years on the road. “Performing live fuels me and I’m ecstatic and humbled to continue to play to audiences across the globe. I plan to bring the passion and creativity that has entertained my fans for decades to my final tour. After the tour finishes, I’m very much looking forward to closing off that chapter of my life by saying farewell to life on the road. I need to dedicate more time to raising my children”.

The announcement comes as John gets ready to complete his latest Las Vegas residency, ‘The Million Dollar Piano’. Having started in September 2011, the final performance of that show will take place at Caesars Palace on 19 May this year.

Exact UK dates for the farewell tour are yet to be announced, but it has been confirmed that tickets for them will go on sale in September this year. So make a note of that. Unless that was another lie.

Watch the tour announcement here: