Elton John Thanks His Fans For ’52 Years Of Pure Joy’ As He Concludes His Touring Career

The renowned artist concluded his final tour at Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena on Saturday, marking the end of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.

“I’ve had the most incredible career, beyond words. How fortunate am I to be able to play music for 52 years?” John, 76, shared with the audience as he wrapped up his concert with “Your Song” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

“But, you know, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you. You bought the singles, albums, CDs, and cassettes, but more importantly, you bought the concert tickets, and you know how much I enjoy performing live.”

Following the show, the five-time Grammy winner expressed his gratitude to his fans for their unwavering support over more than five decades.

“My fans have been there for me every step of the way. They’ve stood by me, supported me, been patient, and attended every single event,” he said in a post-show statement, according to Consequence.

“Tonight has been a beautiful night. I’m still processing everything, and I think it’ll take some time before I fully grasp that I’m done touring. I can’t express how much I’ll miss the fans or how deeply their love has touched me – it will stay with me forever.”

During the event, the “Tiny Dancer” singer received a special message from Chris Martin, who was performing with his band, Coldplay, in Sweden at the same time.

“Elton, we just wanna say, from all of us here, from all the bands and artists that you’ve loved, inspired, and helped, we just love you so much,” Martin, 46, said in part. “We love you tremendously. Happy retirement and we’ll miss you terribly, dude.”

John, who has been on the road since 1970, took to Instagram earlier on Saturday to share a heartfelt message before the highly anticipated event.

“What a journey this tour has been, and now we find ourselves at the end of it,” he wrote. “Tonight is the final night.”

Although John is no longer touring, he and his management have indicated that fans can still expect to see him perform in some capacity in the future.

“It’s important to distinguish between Elton retiring from touring and Elton performing his very last public performance,” John’s husband and manager, David Furnish, told Billboard last November.

“I know he will not be touring anymore. What you’ll see is the possibility of a spectacular one-time event or a short residency in a single location for a limited period.”