Elton John’s Farewell Tour Rockets to No. 1 In All-Time Box Office
Elton John has lived up to his nickname as his farewell run rockets to No. 1 on the list of all-time biggest grossing tours.
The British pop legend’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road has raked in US$817.9 million (A$1.14 billion) across 278 shows, bettering the previous market set by Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour (US$776.4 million), Billboard reports.
Completing the podium is U2’s 360 tour, the third-highest grossing trek with US$736.4 million, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
Farewell is the first tour to pass the US$800 million mark — a billion-dollar tour in Australian currency.
The Rocket Man isn’t going to come down just yet.
He’ll add to his tally in the months ahead, with tour dates still to come across the Europe and the U.K., including a performance at Glastonbury Festival on June 25, Elton’s final show in his homeland.
Australia has played its part in the tour’s success.
Elton recently completed a second lap of Australia and New Zealand, which included two rescheduled shows from March 2020, which were postponed due to illness and then COVID lockdowns. Newcastle was on the tour map for the very first time.
Kicking off in September 2018, Farewell Yellow Brick Road has played over 350 dates on five continents.
His latest and last journey will be grounded on July 8 at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, the second of two rescheduled nights in the Swedish capital.
To date, Elton has delivered more than 4,000 performances in more than 80 countries since launching his first tour in 1970.
Elton and Australia have a long history together.
Since his first show in these parts at Perth’s Subiaco Oval on Oct. 17, 1971, the British legend has played 236 concerts across the nation — the third most for any country outside the U.S. and the U.S.
And he set the house record at the old Sydney Entertainment Centre. Fittingly, he played the last shows at the venue, in December 2015, prior to its demolition.
“I always love coming back to Australia,” he said when the first leg of his final tour Down Under was announced. “Ever since my first visit in 1971 it has held a very special place in my heart.”
Away from the stage, Elton married the sound engineer Renate Blauel in Sydney back in 1984 (the marriage would last three years).
Elton made the records tumble once again when, in November 2021, he became the oldest artist in history to top the ARIA Singles Chart, aged 74 years, seven months and 14 days.
The single? “Cold Heart” with Dua Lipa, remixed by Sydney electronic trio PNAU.
Among the many awards Elton has accumulated over time are six Grammys (including a Grammy Legend accolade), a Tony, two Oscars, and, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center Honor.
Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour was promoted by AEG Presents, with Chugg Entertainment and Frontier Touring partnering up for Australia and NZ.