viewers were left emotional after Sir ’s heartfelt tribute to the late George Michael.
on the final night,76, took a moment to remember his good friend, who died on Christmas Day in 2016, aged 53.
would’ve been celebrating his 60th birthday on Sunday, with Sir Elton dedicating a performance of Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me to Michael.
In 1991, a version of the famous 1974 track that had been recorded live as a duet between Sir Elton and Michael topped the charts in the UK.
After introducing his band to the thousands-strong crowd this weekend, Sir Elton explained: ‘It’s a very, very special day today and I wonder how I’m going to approach it.’
He continued: ‘George Michael, my friend, my inspiration. Today would have been his 60th birthday and so I want to dedicate this song to his memory.
‘All of the music he left us with, which is so gorgeous.
‘This is for you, George.’
The singer performed a really moving rendition of the much-loved tune, leaving viewers in tears as images of Michael appeared on the screen.
Sir Elton was seen wiping away tears himself after the heartfelt tribute, which saw the whole crowd singing along with him at the top of their lungs.
It wasn’t the first time Sir Elton had dedicated a performance to Michael, having done the same on his birthday in 2022
Watching along at home, one viewer tweeted: ‘in an alternate and fair universe, george michael is on that stage right now with elton, just two legends sharing space. his loss is always such a gut punch. would have been 60 today. no age at all’.
‘When you’re watching Elton rocking Glastonbury at 76 on George Michael’s 60th Birthday, you realise how fast, fabulous and unpredictable life is. Make the most of every precious second!’, another tweeted.
‘Such a touching sad moment. George would’ve been up there singing with his friend Elton on his special farewell gig. Two legends who will live forever in our hearts’, one fan added.
‘I thought it was so touching that he sang the words alone, not inviting anyone else on stage to sing George’s part’, another tweeter noted.
Indeed, Sir Elton chose to sing their duet by himself,at various points during his two-hour set.
Despite rumours that and Dua Lipa would be joining him, Sir Elton ended up bringing out Jacob Lusk, Stephen Sanchez, Brandon Flowers, and Rina Sawayama, with fans praising him for giving smaller artists a platform.
His set went down a storm, as he also performed renditions Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Your Song, and Candle In The Wind.
The set list, of course, included all the classics, from I’m Still Standing to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.
It was clear the show meant a lot to the music icon, as he repeatedly thanked the crowd and expressed his appreciation in betwen songs.
The show was billed as his final UK gig before he retires from touring at the end of his Farwell Yellow Brick Road tour.
Sir Elton told the Glasto crowd: ‘I never thought I would ever play Glastonbury and here I am.
‘It’s a very special and emotional night for me because it might be my last show ever in England, so I had better play well and I had better entertain you, you’ve been standing there so long and I really appreciate all the outfits and everything.’
