In the hours after Elton John revealed on Jan. 24, via a live-streamed press conference in New York, that he will retire from live performing after staging a final world tour, several dozen dates appeared on his website.
When tickets went on sale Feb. 2, a reported 60 North American dates in 2018 and 2019 quickly sold-out. He’s since added many North American and European dates for 2019, many of which go on sale soon. (See below.) Tickets are available here and here.
“My priorities have changed in my life. We have children and that has changed our lives,” John said at the press conference, referring to himself, husband David Furnish and their sons Elijah and Zachary. “It’s time to say goodbye to all of my fans globally. I don’t want my children to miss too much of this,” he said, meaning his presence in their lives, “and I don’t want them to miss me. I’ve had a good run…I’ve had an amazing life, an amazing career. My priorities in life have changed,” he reiterated.
John said that his final tour, which he’s calling the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, will encompass as much as three years and 300 dates. John said he expects to perform on “every continent” before he calls it quits. John added that it will be his biggest tour production ever, but gave no specifics. “I don’t want to go out with a whimper. I want to go out with a bang,” he said.
John, who has been touring since age 17, said during the press conference that the decision to retire from the road was made in 2015 and it took this long to make arrangements for the tour and retirement announcement.
He also nixed reports in the British press that he was quitting due to ill health. John played 87 shows in 2017, including dates in Europe and Australia as well as his ongoing Las Vegas residency, titled The Million Dollar Piano, now in its sixth year and ending in May. While he has experienced some health issues as of late–the 70-year-old performer was forced to cancel nine shows in Las Vegas and California due to a bacterial infection he contracted during a South American tour–he denied that his health was an issue in the decision to retire from the road.
Related: Our review of one of Elton John’s Las Vegas performances
John is also said to be working on a Broadway musical production based on The Devil Wears Prada, as well as a live action version of Disney’s The Lion King and the animation Sherlock Gnomes, produced by his own production company, according to a report by the BBC.
Watch Elton perform “Rocket Man” at one of his Las Vegas concerts
Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (Tickets are available here and here)
Sep. 08 – Allentown, PA – PPL Center
Sep. 11 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sep. 12 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sep. 15 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Sep. 16 – University Park, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
Sep. 19 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
Sep. 21 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Sep. 22 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Sep. 25 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
Sep. 26 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
Sep. 28 – Kanata, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
Sep. 29 – Quebec, QC – Centre Videotron
Oct. 04 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell Centre
Oct. 06 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Oct. 09 – Uniondale, NY – Nassau Coliseum
Oct. 10 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Oct. 12 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Oct. 13 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Oct. 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
Oct. 18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Oct. 19 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Oct. 23 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
Oct. 24 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Oct. 26 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Oct. 27 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Oct. 30 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
Nov. 02 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
Nov. 03 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
Nov. 06 – Boston, MA – TD Garden*
Nov. 08 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Nov. 09 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Nov. 23 – Sunrise, FL – BB&T Center
Nov. 24 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena
Nov. 27 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Nov. 28 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Nov. 30 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
Dec. 01 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
Dec. 04 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena
Dec. 06 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Dec. 08 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Dec. 09 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Dec. 12 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Dec. 14 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Dec. 15 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
2019
Jan. 11 – Boise, ID – Taco Bell Arena
Jan. 12 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Jan. 15 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
Jan. 16 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Jan. 18 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
Jan. 19 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose
Jan. 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Jan. 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Jan. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Jan. 26 – Scottsdale, AZ – Gila River Arena
Jan. 29 – San Diego, CA – Valley View Casino
Jan. 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Feb. 01 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
Feb. 02 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
Feb. 06 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
Feb. 07 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
Feb. 09 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
Feb. 12 – Omaha, NE – CenturyLink Center Omaha
Feb. 13 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
Feb. 15 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
Feb. 16 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
Feb. 19 – Milwaukee, WI – Wisconsin Ent. and Sports Center
Feb. 21 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Feb. 22 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Feb. 27 – Cincinnati, OH – U.S. Bank Arena
Mar. 01 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
Mar. 02 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Mar. 05 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Mar. 06 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Mar. 08 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Mar. 09 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Mar. 12 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
Mar. 13 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena
Mar. 15 – Jacksonville, FL – Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Mar. 16 – Sunrise, FL – BB&T Center
May 01 – Vienna, Austria 0 Stadthalle
May 02 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle
May 04 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena
May 07 – Prague, Czech Rep. – O2 Arena
May 09 – Bremen, Germany – OVB Arena
May 11 – Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyerhalle
May 12 – Oberhausen, Germany – KoPi Arena
May 15 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
May 18 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena (on sale Aug. 31)
May 19 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Scandinavium (on sale Aug. 31)
May 22 – Hanover, Germany – Tui Arena
May 23 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis
May 26 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
May 29 – Verona, Italy – Arena
May 30 – Verona, Italy – Arena
Jun 01 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Bowling Green
Jun 08 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Jun 12 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Jun 13 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Jun 26 – Madrid, Spain – WiZink Center (on sale June 8)
Jun 29 – Montreux, Switzerland – Montreux Jazz Festival (on sale July 14)
Jun 30 – Montreux, Switzerland – Montreux Jazz Festival (on sale July 14)
Jul 03 – Graz, Austria – Mese Graz Open Air
Jul 05 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
Sep 10 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Sep 11 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
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1 Comment
I have very mixed feelings about this announcement. I must admit on one hand, i’m very selfish. As someone who has seen him numerous times and enjoyed every time, I don’t want to see this happen. On the other hand, he’s given so much to music and the World, and he’s toured so much. He deserves to live his final time in peace, with his family, the way he wants to.
It’s a bit of an understatement to say he’s had an amazing career. The string of albums between “The Elton John” album and “Rock of the Westies” are true masterpieces. The albums “Madman Across the Water”, “Tumbleweed Connection”, and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” could easily take up three spots on the “20 Greatest Albums of All-Time” list.
I will definitely, miss our pilgrimages to see him play.