Few artists have exerted as much staying power in popular music as Sir Elton John. The English singer, pianist, and cultural icon’s resume of hits spans six decades, and his performances have been the stuff of live music legend for just as long. Even as he finally says goodbye to life on the road this year, Elton John remains a singular force in the live entertainment world: New figures reported to the Billboard Boxscore indicate that Sir Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour “has grossed $817.9 million across 278 shows so far—more than any tour in Boxscore history.”
Farewell Yellow Brick Road is also the first tour in Billboard Boxscore history to surpass the $800 million gross revenue mark, pushing Elton John ahead of previous all-time record-holder Ed Sheeran and his The Divide Tour, which grossed $776.4 million between 2017 and 2019.
The bulk of Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road revenue came last year when he sized up from arenas to stadiums. As Billboard explains, “John’s first three North American legs combined to $268.2 million over 116 shows. His stadium run from July – Nov. 2022 brought in $222.1 million, or 83% of his arena grosses, in just 33 shows.” And he’s still not done…
Elton John first announced Farewell Yellow Brick Road in 2018 along with the news that he would retire from the road following the massive, multi-year tour. As John, who was 70 at the time, explained, “My priorities have changed in my life. … My priorities now are my children, my husband, my family. I thought the time is right to say thank you to my fans and say goodbye.” He noted at the time that once the tour is over, he’ll be done for good. “I’m not going to say I’m retiring and then do a world tour,” he quipped. “I’m not Cher.”
Since then, the tour’s itinerary has elongated for numerous reasons, from added dates to the COVID-19 pandemic to a 2021 hip injury. On November 20th, 2022, Elton John rounded out the North American portion of Farewell Yellow Brick Road with fitting fanfare at Los Angeles, CA’s Dodger Stadium. A concert film culled from that show’s livestream, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, is available to stream on-demand via Disney+.
While the Rocket Man has left North America in the rearview, he is set to continue his Yellow Brick Road victory lap throughout the first half of 2023 with 50 more shows across Europe and the U.K. The tour, which has featured 278 concerts to date and will push past 300 before all is said and done, is currently due to close on July 7th and 8th in Stockholm, Sweden.
Related: Elton John Bids Farewell To The Road At Guest-Filled Dodger Stadium Finale [Photos/Videos]
Projections for the total number of tickets John may sell by the end of the tour leave him short of all-time titles (The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Guns N’ Roses, U2, and Sheeran have all brought in more total fans), but Billboard Boxscore reports that Elton John has “grossed $1.863 billion and sold 19.9 million tickets over 1,573 reported shows” since 1986, including his share of co-headlining runs with Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Tina Turner, and Billy Joel. That number pushes him past the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Madonna and into the all-time top spot on the Boxscore for career gross for a solo act.
For a complete list of the remaining 2023 Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour dates, head here.
[H/T Billboard]