Glastonbury 2023 – latest: Elton John says thank-you to festival audience after farewell UK performance
Rocket Man bids farewell as he played what could be his final live show in the UK, with a jaw-dropping, career-spanning set of his greatest songs
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Elton John performed what will go down as one of the greatest headline shows in Glastonbury history last night (Sunday 25 June), to one of the biggest crowds the festival has seen in years.
Lil Nas X was the final artist to take to the main stage before the 76-year-old at Worthy Farm, Somerset, after a joyful Yusuf/Cat Stevens entertained fans with songs including “Wild World” and “Father and Son”.
The revered folk singer-songwriter performed with his band in the coveted Legends Slot, a gig previously handed to artists including Lionel Richie, Kylie Minogue and Dolly Parton. He also gave superfan/comedian Ricky Gervais a shout-out on his birthday, before playing his song “Tea for the Tillerman”.
At 9pm, John launched his performance with some of his best-known songs, including his 1975 cover of “Pinball Wizard” and “Benny and the Jets”. From the moment he sat down at the piano, the show was a pure blast of euphoria from one of the world’s greatest living entertainers, with surprise guests including The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, and Gabriels singer Jacob Lusk.
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‘Here comes the sun'
Beautiful Beatles cover from Cat Stevens, and just what we needed. It really does feel like years since summer’s been here, but here it is!
Cat Stevens just shouted out his biggest fan, Ricky Gervais
“Oh Glastonbury, are you enjoying yourselves?” Cat Stevens asks his audience. “You should be, it’s teatime! The only person missing right now is Ricky Gervais.”
In case you didn’t know, the comedian is a massive fan of Stevens’, and picked his classic song “Lilywhite” as his Desert Island Disc favourite back in 2007.
“It’s just beautiful, he said of the song.
Stevens has previously said the song was inspired by an “amazingly bad trip”.
“I was at Noel Redding’s house, we were on tour and he introduced me to this substance,” he told Mojo. “That was the worst night of my life!
“It was in his flat in Clapham Common. By the time I got to dawn and I was able to get out of the door it had snowed and it was like looking at an angelic gift from heaven! It was beautiful. Now, the song represents a recapturing of that moment where after darkness comes light.”
Gervais was likely also behind “Tea for the Tillerman” being used as the closing title track for his comedy sketch show Extras.
Moshing – to Weyes Blood?
When you think of Weyes Blood’s psychedlic folk, you don’t exactly think of mosh pits but anything is possible.
“I’ve heard this festival is extremely known for having the best moshes so this is your chance. This is our one extremely upbeat song...”
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Weyes Blood at the Park Stage
If anyone can tear themselves away from Cat Stevens’s gorgeous vocals, I would suggest tuning into Weyes Blood over at the Park Stage.
Natalie Mering’s psychedlic folk is not something you want to miss.
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In other news...
Those not watching Cat Stevens right now can catch The Teskey Brothers at the Other Stage, Cat Burns at Woodsies, and Weyes Blood at The Park Stage.
‘Course not!'
Cat Stevens is certainly not camping this year...
Keep ‘em coming
Cat Stevens is reeling through the hits! From “Here Comes My Baby” to “First Cut Is The Deepest”, this is a crowd-pleasing set if ever there was one.
“What a journey!"
Cat Stevens reflected on his long, storied career in between songs on stage.
The musician recalled the first ever time he walked up to a microphone at a small folk venue in Soho in 1965.
“And now walking on the great Pyramid stage of Glastonbury – what a journey!”
Now on the Pyramid Stage
Yusuf Islam – aka Cat Stevens – is here, and winning over the crowd with a gorgeously sung rendition of his 1971 “Moonshadow”.
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