The sun goes down on Elton John with this spirited Glastonbury collection

The sun has set on one of the greatest careers in British music history, as Elton John plays the last British show on his farewell tour at Glastonbury.

The 76-year-old legend gave his fans a stellar show of hitmaking and theater, with a tracklist that never ceases to deliver classic pop moments.

Bennie And The Jets, Tiny Dancer, Your Song, I’m Still Standing – For two hours, each song is a huge hit.

“I am very happy to be here,” he told the crowd. “I will never forget this.”

Elton took to the stage shortly after 21:00 GMT with Pinball Wizard – as promised, a song he hasn’t played in over a decade – followed by a snarky smash through The Bitch Is Back.

He stopped to catch his breath, drank in the huge crowd, estimated at more than 120,000 people, and extended his arms in gratitude.

“I never thought I’d be playing Glastonbury – and here I am,” he said.

“It is a very special and emotional night for me because it may be my last show in England, in Great Britain.”

“I better play well and I better enjoy you because you’ve been standing there for so long,” he added.

In the audience next to me, a fan shouted an encouragement: “Go on, you old sausage.”

The show came at the end of Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour – and is now officially the highest-grossing tour of all time, with $887m (£697m) at the box office.

After Glastonbury, there are only seven dates left, with the final show in Stockholm on July 8th.

It relieves a touring career that has seen Elton go from cocky youngster rocking the Troubador in Los Angeles, to part of a rock establishment.

Over the years, he’s earned a reputation for overindulgence—feathery boas, platform heels, elaborate headpieces and a piano that caught fire.

“I don’t move on the platform,” he said. “I have to attract attention somehow!”

But by Elton’s standards, Glastonbury was a simple show focused solely on his love of music.

He wore the same gold lamé suit all evening, giving the air of a man who is at his happiest when he sits behind a piano, ripped apart.

There were some nice flourishes extended on your song and I guess why they call it blues. On Still Standing, he banged the keys furiously, and they threatened to fall off.

It must be said, however, that his voice is not what it used to be. The clipped, jammed vowels have a whiff of a Vegas lounge singer—but here at Worthy Farm, his vocals are oddly effective, piercing the air with a clarity that didn’t match the other headliners this weekend.

Before the show, rumors of special guests swirled all weekend. Britney Spears was supposedly seen at Bristol Airport. One of the security guards swore they had seen Dua Lipa. Harry Styles was supposed to be here, then he wasn’t, and then he’s back again.

In the end, however, Elton stood against the grain, championing a new generation of musicians over pop stars who could easily top Glastonbury themselves.

Jacob Lusk of the American band Gabrielle called in to sing Are You Ready for Love? While pop newcomer Rina Sawayama took Kiki D’s place in the sexy Don’t Break My Heart.

Nashville native Stephen Sanchez even managed to sing his own song, Until I Found You.

“I heard it last year on the radio, ‘Elton’s excited,’ and I couldn’t believe a guy of 19 or 20 could write a song like that.”

The only exception was Brandon Flowers from The Killers, who took to the stage in a light pink suit of a handsome duo from Tiny Dancer.

Their performance proved so moving that the television cameras picked out a motion from the audience.

In general, the lack of star power caused a wave of disappointment. “who’s that?” A fan grumbled as Sawayama took the stage.

But there was something impressive about it, too. Elton stayed true to who he was – obsessed with music, and his hunger for rock and pop fueled and sustained his career.

Two hours later, the set built to an emotional climax.

Elton dedicated “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” to George Michael, “one of Britain’s finest singer-songwriters [and] Artists.

He added, “My friend, he was an inspiration, and today it will be his 60th birthday – I want to dedicate this song to his memory, and all the music he left us that was so amazing.”

He then drew the curtain on his UK touring run with an extended, elegiac version of Rocket Man, with pyrotechnics echoing throughout the venue.

When he finally takes a bow with his band, the closing track “I Think It’s Gonna Be a Very Long Time” takes on a new poignancy.

“It’s been an incredible journey and I’ve had the best, best time,” the star said, with a lump in his throat.

The star group was watched by so many fans that Glastonbury released a rocker “Standing Up Only,” asking people to fold up their chairs and pack picnic blankets.

Also seen were Paul McCartney, actors Matt Smith and Kate Hudson, Jamie Oliver and Taron Egerton, who played Elton in the popular biopic Rocket Man, as well as the director of the film, Dexter Fletcher.

“It was amazing,” Fletcher told the BBC after the show.

“You can’t really tell how emotional it was and how engaging and connecting it was to the audience. That’s what it was all about.”

The show ended with Glastonbury Festival 2023, after high-profile sets from Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses, Lana Del Rey, WizKid, Lizzo, Blondie and Cat Stevens,

Organizer Emily Ives has confirmed the event will return next year, with two women already booked.