Sir Elton John health update: is he ill, how old is he, what happened - and full dates for farewell tour

Sir Elton was pictured in a wheelchair and looked frail during his Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert performance
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Sir Elton John was seen arriving at Germany’s Leipzig Airport in a wheelchair in May, just days before his special performance for the Platinum Jubilee.

The 75-year-old musician had been in Germany for two of his shows on the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which is due to run until the end of this year. However, Sir Elton had to postpone some of his earlier European performances due to sickness and Covid-19.

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But he was back on top form at a headline show at the BST Hyde Park festival in London last week.

With more dates on his tour this year and next, here is everything you need to know about the star’s health latest.

Elton John playing in Frankfurt (Pic:Getty)Elton John playing in Frankfurt (Pic:Getty)
Elton John playing in Frankfurt (Pic:Getty)

What happened to Sir Elton?

The Rocketman singer was pictured arriving at the airport on 27 May, on his way to fly home to Nice on the Cote d’Azur.

He was seen getting out of the car before being pushed by a staff member in a wheelchair and surrounded by security, decked out in his trademark Gucci tracksuit.

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This is not the first time the star has been seen in a wheelchair - in 2019, Elton started using one after he sprained his ankle. At the time, the singer spoke out about his ailment when he was visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

“Not even a sprained ankle could keep me away from seeing one of the most beautiful museums in the world,” Elton said.

In 1999 Sir Elton was fitted with a pacemaker and told Rolling Stone: “Thank God for the British medical system, because I went through every test known to man to find out exactly what was wrong.”

Elton John's ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road - The Final Tour’Elton John's ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road - The Final Tour’
Elton John's ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road - The Final Tour’

Why did he postpone his tour?

Elton John embarked on his farewell tour in September 2018, with dates booked until July 2023.

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The Your Song singer said that after nearly 60 years of touring and singing, he wants to spend more time with his family: “I’ve been touring since I was 17 in the back of a van. I’ve had the most incredible life, I’ve been so lucky, and I have loved every minute of it. But I’ve had enough of that applause, and I really want…I want to do something else with the rest of my life.”

The singer has had to postpone the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour several times due to the pandemic and various ailments.

On 16 September 2021, Elton posted a statement to Twitter revealing the first postponement of the tour was due to a nasty fall at the end of a summer break, leading to the star undergoing surgery for his hip in January.

The star then tested positive for Covid-19 in January 2022 causing him to cancel his Dallas, Texas concerts.

What dates does Elton John still have on his farewell tour?

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Following his high profile shows at the Jubilee and the BST Hyde Park festival, Sir Elton has more dates on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, both this year and next.

He plays two nights at Watford’s Vicarage Road Stadium on 3 and 4 July 2022, before heading over to the US.

His rescheduled UK dates for 2023 are:

April 2023:

  • 2 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Sunday 14 November 2021)
  • 4 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Tuesday 2 November 2021)
  • 5 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Wednesday 3 November 2021)
  • 8 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Friday 12 November 2021)
  • 9 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Sunday 7 November 2021)
  • 12 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Wednesday 17 November 2021)
  • 13 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Wednesday 10 November 2021)
  • 16 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Tuesday 9 November 2021)
  • 17 – The O2, London (rescheduled from Tuesday 16 November 2021)
  • 19 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham (rescheduled from Sunday 21 November 2021)
  • 22 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (rescheduled from Saturday 27 November 2021)
  • 23 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (rescheduled from Sunday 28 November 2021)

May 2023:

  • 31 – AO Arena, Manchester (rescheduled from Wednesday 1 December 2021)

June 2023:

  • 2 – AO Arena, Manchester (rescheduled from Friday 19 November 2021)
  • 3 – AO Arena, Manchester (rescheduled from Sunday 30 October 2021)
  • 6 – First Direct Arena, Leeds (rescheduled from Friday 5 November 2021)
  • 10 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham (rescheduled from Tuesday 23 November 2021)
  • 11 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham (rescheduled from Wednesday 24 November 2021)
  • 13 – P&J Live, Aberdeen (rescheduled from Thursday 9 December 2021)
  • 15 – P&J Live, Aberdeen (rescheduled from Friday 10 December 2021)
  • 17 – The SSE Hydro, Glasgow (rescheduled from Monday 13 December 2021)
  • 18 – The SSE Hydro, Glasgow (rescheduled from Tuesday 14 December 2021)

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

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