On July 8, 2023, Elton John performed his very last tour concert. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden.
“I’ve had the most wonderful career, beyond belief,” John said at that show. “How lucky am I to play music? But you know I wouldn’t be sitting here and talking to you if it wasn’t for you. You’ve bought the singles, the albums, the CDs, the cassettes but most importantly you’ve bought the tickets to the shows. And you know how much I love to play live. It’s been my lifeblood to play for you guys and you’ve been absolutely magnificent, thank you!”
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour began back in 2018, experiencing a few delays along the way due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plus a hip injury John suffered in 2021. When it was first announced, John explained that his primary reason for retiring from the road was to spend more time with his husband, David Furnish, and their two sons. “That doesn’t mean I won’t be creative, but I’m not gonna travel anymore,” he said then.
“I want to appreciate my family, my sons, my husband, my family, everything. I’ve earned it and I don’t regret it tonight,” John reiterated in Sweden in 2023. “But I want to say thank you to the band, the crew, everybody. I will miss you guys so much, but I will see you much quicker than you think.”
Has Elton John Performed Since Then?
John meant it when he said he was still going to be creative without touring.
For one thing, he hasn’t entirely stopped performing live — he’s played over a dozen times since that concert in Sweden, sometimes full sets with many of his classic numbers.
In November of 2023, for example, he performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where he inducted his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. In June of 2024, he appeared in New York City to mark the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center. In March of 2025, at John’s annual Oscars viewing party, he joined forces with Chappell Roan to sing her hit “Pink Pony Club” and his “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
READ MORE: Elton John’s 10 Most Legendary Concerts
John also hasn’t let up in terms of making new music. In February of 2025, he announced a new album in collaboration with Brandi Carlile called Who Believes in Angels?
“I’m 76 and I want to do something different,” John said in a promotional trailer for the album. “I don’t want to coast.”
There’s also been a new documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late, plus a book titled Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour.
Elton John Is Glad to Have Finished Touring
“How does it feel to not have another world tour looming? Stephen Colbert asked John in December of 2024.
“It’s the most fantastic thing in the world,” came his reply. “I’ve been going since 1970, before that even. I’ve done 55 years of touring. I ended on a high. My voice was great, the piano playing was great, the band was great. There are other things that I want to do with my life that are more important than touring. I’m still going to make records, I’m still going to have a musical future. But I want to be with my boys and I want to be with David because I love them more than I love touring.”
Watch Elton John Perform at His Last Tour Concert on July 8, 2023
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Counting down every Elton John album, from worst to best.
Gallery Credit: Matt Springer
