Elton John has revealed that he has developed a “brand new show” for his set at Glastonbury 2023.
The singer-songwriter announced the update in a new interview with BBC Radio One — where he admitted that he has already planned for the upcoming set to be unlike any of his past performances.
He is set to take to the stage on Sunday for the final night of the 2023 instalment (June 25), and will perform on the Pyramid Stage as part of the music icon slot. The gig will also mark the final date of his mammoth Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which has spanned over 350 dates across the course of five years.
Originally, the farewell tour was set to draw to a close in 2021 — allowing the now-76-year-old to spend more time with his family — however, this was later rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and later by a hip injury he sustained last year.
Now, according to the new interview, it seems that the ‘Rocketman’ singer is looking to end his live shows with a bang, and has planned for the Sunday set to feel like a “brand new show”.
“I’m starting with a song I haven’t played for about 10 years, so we’ll see how it goes,” he began. “I’ve got the set list down, I’ve got rehearsal dates booked for the guest artists, so we just have to hope the weather will still be nice.”
Although the music veteran didn’t provide any details on who may be joining him on stage at the Glastonbury show, some fans are already hoping that the line-up may be similar to that of his final US show last year. Taking place at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 2022, the artist was joined by an array of surprise guests including folk-rock icon Brandi Carlile and pop sensation Dua Lipa.
Sir Elton did instead confirm that he has revamped the setlist for the upcoming show in a bid to make it more exciting for his audience.
“It’s a different show to what people have been seeing. On Farewell Yellow Brick Road, there’s quite a lot of deep cuts, it’s not all hits, and you’ve got to keep people interested,” he explained. “When you put a setlist together, I always say it’s a bit like having sex. You start off really well, then you chill out a little bit, then towards the end of the show all hell breaks loose.”
In a previous interview held this month, the ‘Candle In The Wind’ singer admitted that he was “a little intimidated” by the prospect of headlining the Worthy Farm festival — namely because it will be his first time visiting the site.
“I’m a little, not frightened, but I’m a little intimidated by it because I haven’t played there, I haven’t been there,” he said. He also confirmed that while he planned to end his farewell tour in 2021, he felt that the new timing of the final dates had “come at the right time”.
“I’m a great believer in serendipity and fate — this is the most wonderful way to sign off in England,” he said, discussing the Glastonbury slot. “They’ve been wonderful. Emily [Eavis, festival co-organiser]’s been fantastic.”
John will top the bill at Glastonbury 2023 alongside Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses. Other confirmed acts include Lizzo, Wizkid, Lil Nas X, Chvrches, Lana Del Rey and The War On Drugs.
The post Elton John has created a “brand new show” for Glastonbury 2023 appeared first on NME.
