Elton John thanks his fans for ’52 years of pure joy’ as he concludes his touring career

After more than 50 years on the road, Elton John has officially retired from touring.

The renowned artist performed his final tour act at Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena on Saturday, the final stop on 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, told the audience as he finished 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.”

After the show, the five-time Grammy winner thanked his fans for their unending support spanning more than five decades.

“My fans have been there for me every step of the way.” They’ve remained with me, they’ve supported me, they’ve been patient, and they’ve been coming to every single event,” he stated in a post-show statement, according to Consequence.

“Tonight has been a beautiful night. I’m still processing everything, and I don’t believe it’ll take a while before I’m finally done touring. I can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss the fans or how much their love has humbled me – it will live on in my heart forever.”

At one point 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 traveling since 1970, took to Instagram earlier Saturday to deliver a poignant message before of 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.”

While John is no longer traveling, he and his management have previously announced that fans can expect to see him perform in some way in the coming years.

“It’s essential to distinguish between Elton retiring from touring and Elton not performing his very last public performance for the very last time,” John’s husband and manager, David Furnish, told Billboard last November.

“I know he will not be touring in any capacity. What you’ll see is the prospect of a spectacular one-time event or a short residency in a single place for a limited time.”

Related articles

Florida high school football player, 18, dies after collapsing during Friday night game

A Florida high school football player is dead after he collapsed during his school’s game Friday. Chance Gainer, a senior at Port St. Joe High School in…

10 years after Robin Williams’ tragic death, Billy Connolly opened up about the actor’s heartbreaking final words

It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since the passing of the legendary Robin Williams A comedic actor almost without peer and a titan of the…

George W. Bush Welcomes Grandson Named in Honor of Great-Grandfathers

George W. Bush is celebrating his growing family! The former United States president, now 78, proudly announced the arrival of his new grandson on social media. On…

NCIS star Mark Harmon’s painful injury that resulted in a big change to his lifestyle

How Mark Harmon’s painful injury resulted in him discovering a new fitness passion The former NCIS star is incredibly active Mark Harmon is incredibly active and long…

Jennifer Aniston Criticizes ‘Injecting’ Anything Into Her Face & Divulges Pressure ‘To Be Ageless’

Jennifer Aniston is an American actress who rose to international fame for her role as Rachel Green in the hit series “Friends.” Born to two actors, John Aniston and Nancy…

Jennifer Grey Succumbed To Plastic Surgery But Her ‘Nose Job From Hell’ Made Her ‘Anonymous’ & Harmed Her…

“Dirty Dancing” was one of the biggest surprise film hits of the 1980s and it catapulted its two stars — Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey — into…