19 June 2023 , 23:00
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Sir Elton John may be a headliner at this year’s Glastonbury Festival but he’s never set foot inside Worthy Farm before.
He will take to the Pyramid Stage this weekend just as he reaches the end of his epic five-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which has seen him perform 333 shows across the globe, making him the highest-earning solo star of all time in the process.
But speaking of the Westcountry festival, which launched in 1970 – the year he released Your Song – he admitted: “I’ve never played it and I’ve never been.”
His confession will surprise many because he’s an avid supporter of new artists and new music.
“It’s the only really important festival for me in the world, to be honest,” he explained in Radio Times. “It’s all about music. Some American ones are good, but some are a bit posey. Glastonbury gives new acts a chance.
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Elton will headline the iconic festival's Pyramid stage (Getty Images)“You can see anything. If you like all sorts of music, there’s something for you there. Everyone has said, ‘You’re gonna love it,’ because there’s such a feeling of love and togetherness.”
He said that the prospect of performing in front of the 200,000-strong audience – with millions more watching on the BBC – was “thrilling”.
“Glastonbury is different. It’s special. It’s a challenge – and life should be full of challenges. I’ve always liked a challenge, and I’ve usually always risen to them.”
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Sir Elton, 76, is quitting the road in order to focus on his two sons with husband David Furnish; Zachary, 12, and 10-year-old Elijah.
The whole family will be down to cheer him on as he performs on Sunday – but he says that none of them are packing wellies, even spangly ones.
“No wellies required,” he insists, saying he’s checked the forecast and it looks good in terms of no rain and therefore no mud. “Well, you never know, it might be f***ing knee-deep! But no, I think we’re going to have a really hot summer this year.”
As he looks forward to the next chapter of his life, Sir Elton claims he is the “happiest I’ve ever been”.