It’s official: Elton John’s epic performance at Glastonbury was the most-watched performance in the festival’s history.
While 200,000 were there, a further 21.6 million people tuned into the BBC’s Glastonbury TV broadcast – that’s a third of the UK’s population.
Proper crowd #EltonJohn #Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/UsgN2d3zXs
— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) June 25, 2023
But it was during Elton John’s three-hour headline set when BBC One recorded a peak audience of 7.6 million, which is three times more viewers than Paul McCartney’s show attracted in the same slot last year.
In comparison, a million tuned into Guns N’ Roses on Saturday night and 1.5 million watched Arctic Monkeys on Friday night, according to overnights.tv.
Billed as his final UK performance, the Rocket Man belted out the classics including “I’m Still Standing”, “Candle in the Wind” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”. A string of special guests also joined him onstage, including The Killers’ Brandon Flowers and Rina Sawayama, who filled in Kiki Dee’s part during the 1976 hit, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.
One reviewer described it as ‘the glitziest, most high-energy retirement party the world has ever seen’.
Elton John Glastonbury 2023 setlist:
Pinball Wizard
The Bitch Is Back
Bennie and the Jets
Daniel
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues
Philadelphia Freedom
Are You Ready for Love (with Jacob Lusk)
Sad Songs (Say So Much)
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Until I Found You (Stephen Sanchez cover with Stephen Sanchez)
Your Song
Candle in the Wind
Tiny Dancer (with Brandon Flowers)
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Elton John & Kiki Dee cover with Rina Sawayama)
Crocodile Rock
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
I’m Still Standing
Cold Heart (remix version; Dua Lipa on backing track)
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (dedicated to George Michael on what would’ve been his 60th birthday)
Rocket Man
If you love Elton and other Classic Hits, check out our sister station Hot Tomato Gold below: