Fans showed up early today (June 25) for Elton John‘s headline Glastonbury set, forming a massive crowd around the Pyramid Stage.
Many of the revellers making up the Sunday night audience wore costumes, glasses and sequins in honour of the legendary performer. See photos and social media posts of the avid fans below.
The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by John, who towards the end of his set decided to thank the audience.
“I want to thank you all for showing up in your costumes and your glasses and your outfits,” he said. “You make me feel so happy, make me feel loved. I want to thank you also for 52 years of amazing love and loyalty you’ve shown me. It’s been an incredible journey and I’ve had the best, best time. I will never forget you, you’re in my head and my heart and my soul.”
Elton’s star-studded Pyramid Stage performance was rumoured to include four guest stars, which appeared throughout the night. For a rendition of ‘Tiny Dancer’, John brought out The Killers’ Brandon Flowers. “My next guest, I first met in 2005 when I started playing Las Vegas,” he said of the frontman. “He came round to my hotel suite to play me his band’s first album, which was called ‘Hot Fuss’.”
Other guests during the star-studded show included Rina Sawayama, who joined John for a rendition of ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ – the song previously duetted on with Kiki Dee. Before that, Gabriels‘ frontman Jacob Lusk joined John on stage with the pair performing ‘Are You Ready For Love?’ for the first time in years alongside the London Community Gospel Choir.
During the introduction for that John fondly recalled Fatboy Slim “regurgitating” the ’70s song to turn it into an early ’00s Number One hit in the UK.
Elsewhere on Sunday at Glastonbury 2023, during his Legends’ Slot performance, Yusuf/Cat Stevens paid tribute to George Harrison with a cover of The Beatles‘ ‘Here Comes The Sun’.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor also opened the famed Pyramid Stage but fans aren’t happy that the set wasn’t live-streamed.
Japanese Breakfast also had to cancel her 12:30pm set at The Other Stage over travel delays. She was replaced by Eaves Wilder. Tonight, the Pyramid Stage will be headlined by Elton John, who will be playing his final show in the UK.
Just before John came on stage, Lil Nas X performed what fans described as an “incredible” slot on the Pyramid Stage.
Check out all the latest from the final day of Glastonbury 2023 on the NME liveblog here, and see more news, reviews, photos, interviews and more here.