Elton John confirmed as first Glastonbury Festival 2023 headliner
Elton John has been confirmed as the first headliner for Glastonbury Festival 2023.
The legendary musician will play a bill-topping show on the Pyramid Stage on Sunday, June 25, 2023, it was announced this morning (December 2).
- READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Elton John: “I’m not interested in the past – not even Elton John’s past”
“We are incredibly excited to announce that the one and only @EltonOfficial will headline the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night at Glastonbury 2023, for what will be the final UK show of his last ever tour,” organisers tweeted.
In a separate statement, Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said: “It gives me enormous pleasure to let you know that the one and only Elton John will be making his first ever Glastonbury appearance, headlining the Pyramid Stage on the Sunday night next year.
“This will be the final UK show of Elton’s last ever tour, so we will be closing the Festival and marking this huge moment in both of our histories with the mother of all send-offs.”
She added: “We are so very happy to finally bring the Rocket Man to Worthy Farm!”
We are incredibly excited to announce that the one and only @EltonOfficial will headline the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night at Glastonbury 2023, for what will be the final UK show of his last ever tour. pic.twitter.com/tpylanY1Rh
— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) December 2, 2022
It comes after John teased that he had “one final date” to announce for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which he’s vowed will be his last ever live concerts. The pop icon is due to embark on a run of UK and Ireland gigs next spring.
Yesterday (December 1) also saw the BBC Glastonbury Twitter account trail John’s debut Worthy Farm appearance by directing its followers to a “stunning shot” that was caught on the official Glasto webcam.
When viewers clicked on the link, a rocket could be seen in the sky above an illuminated Pyramid stage. Other teaser images were published by the Frome Photos and Glastonbury Rec feeds.
— Emily Eavis (@emilyeavis) December 2, 2022
No other acts have yet been confirmed for Glastonbury ’23. eFestivals‘ line-up page currently lists Arctic Monkeys and Harry Styles as the rumoured remaining two headliners. The first wave of artists traditionally arrives around March.
Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury sold out last month. General sale tickets were snapped up in one hour, while coach packages went in under 25 minutes. According to organisers, “demand far exceeded supply”.
Speaking to NME for a Big Read cover feature last year around the release of his collaborative album ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, Elton John said that he was determined to finish his ‘Farewell…’ tour – and that it will also certainly be his last.
“It’s something I wanna finish,” he told NME. “I’m looking forward to doing it and going out on the high that we were on – we were an express train that hit the buffers. At the moment I finish supposedly in 2023, in the summer, by which time I’ll be 76 – and that’s it, baby.
“I can’t wait to do it and have a great time, and I can’t wait to finish and say, ‘No more – I’ve had enough.'”
As for his plans for the future, John added: “I will do records and I’ll do my radio show, but as far as schlepping and doing shows? I’ve had enough applause. I wanna be with my family. I wanna be with my boys.”
He continued: “I’ll still be creative, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life flying here, flying there. I can’t do any more than I’ve done now and save for the odd charity thing that may come up, that’s it for me.”
Glastonbury Festival 2023 will take place between June 21-25.
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Tom Skinner
NME
