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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Your support makes all the difference.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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Applause for Rick Astley
Rick Astley has just finished up a crowd-pleasing set over at the Pyramid Stage, with his 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” proving to be the ultimate antidote to this sweltering weather.
Rumours are swirling...
With just under six hour to go until Elton John’s headline show, whispers are rife about who will be joining the musician on stage...
Adam White on The Chicks:
“Absolutely massive set by The Chicks over on the Pyramid Stage just then – lovely mix of Nineties classives like ‘Wide Open Spaces’ and modern hits like the glitchy, atmospheric ‘March March’.
“A cover of Beyonce’s ‘Daddy Lessons’ massively popped off, but for me the highlight was frontwoman Natalie Maines belting out ‘Ready to Run’ at the front of the stage with a silver-frosted mohawk. I may have ascended.”
Looking very likely that Rina Sawayama will be one of the guest to feature during Elton’s set later.
Courtesy of an overheard mic check...
People think Aitch just leaked the new Manchester United 2023/24 football kit during his Glastonbury appearance yesterday.
Either that or it’s a very convincing knock-off...
For the last time!
Here’s a full rundown of all the performers and stage times coming today.
Fatigue may be setting in at Worthy Farm, but there are still bangers left to come...
Glastonbury 2023: Full line up and stage times for Sunday
Your full guide to the festival’s mammoth line up, including headliner Elton John, rock band The War on Drugs, and Lil Nas X
Four stars for Sophie Ellis-Bextor from Adam White.
“There is a specific kind of performer whose ability to bring the house down at Glastonbury tends to come as a shock to those watching – they tend to be women, they tend to lean towards pop (or at least dabble in it), and they tend to never have achieved the kind of international stardom their litany of recognisable bangers probably deserved. Case in point: Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
“‘This is pretty flipping exciting,’ she says at the top of her set, very much embodying your favourite primary school art teacher — who also moonlights as a pop behemoth. ‘Can you feel my sequinned-leotard, excited-mother energy?’ she asks. It’s a question that sums up the following set: one that is cosy and gentle when it’s not bopping.”
Read the full review here:
Sophie Ellis-Bextor dispenses disco bangers and irresistible sequinned vibes – review
The British singer toggles delivers a buoyant, sequin-covered set on the festival’s Pyramid Stage
One of the spicier moments from yesterday’s sets.
Rina Sawayama appeared to call out The 1975’s Matty Healy on stage.
While introducing the song “STFU!” on the festival’s Woodsies stage, the 32-year-old Japanese-British artist made reference to Healy’s recent racism controversy, as well as his self-admitted pornography habits.
Crouching on the floor, Sawayama said: “Tonight, this goes out to a white man that watches Ghetto Gaggers, and mocks Asian people on a podcast... he also owns my masters... I’ve had enough.”
Rina Sawayama publicly calls out Matty Healy at Glastonbury Festival
Musician appeared to castigate The 1975 frontman for his controversial remarks on a recent podcast episode