Sir Elton John wows fans as final North American tour ends

The singer closed his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles

British musician Sir Elton John performs onstage during his final Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on October 29, 2022. AFP

John praised his fans in Los Angeles for helping him to 'make history tonight' during his final tour performance in North America. AFP

The musical megastar wowed crowds at Dodger Stadium with a show that included pyrotechnics, spectacular visuals and a surprise guest appearance by Dua Lipa. AP

With his LA shows concluded, John will next visit Australia and New Zealand before embarking on European tour dates. AP

The singer's first show at the stadium marked his first time returning to the venue in almost five decades, having last performed there in 1975. AP

He played several nights at the Los Angeles stadium. AP

This is the singer's final tour.

Sir Elton John has praised his fans in Los Angeles for helping him to make "history tonight", during his final tour performance in North America.

The musical megastar wowed crowds at the Dodger Stadium with a show that included pyrotechnics, spectacular visuals and a surprise guest appearance from Dua Lipa.

The singer, 75, has been performing at several venues around the US and Canada as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

In the past week he has played three nights at the Los Angeles stadium, with the final performance on Sunday.

John took to the stage wearing a bejewelled suit jacket with large glittery lapels and launched into his first songs of the evening, Bennie and the Jets and Philadelphia Freedom.

"Tonight is a very special night," he told the crowd at the 56,000-seat arena. "We are creating history tonight, with the first-ever global live-stream. I'm so glad to see you, Dodger Stadium."

Throughout the evening he delighted fans with a string of hits including Tiny Dancer, Rocketman, I'm Still Standing and Candle In The Wind, which he famously sang at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.

John dedicated his performance of Border Song to the "lasting genius and legacy" of Aretha Franklin, telling the crowd that the US singer's cover of the track had helped to launch his stateside career stateside.

"Tonight is a very special night for me, a very emotional night for me, it's been a long journey," he said.

He described meeting and performing with Franklin, including a show shortly before the singer died in 2018.

"It was a surreal experience to be in the company of genius," he said.

As well as British superstar Dua Lipa, he also brought US singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile and English singer Kiki Dee onstage to duet with him.

He and Carlile sang Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, which John dedicated to late members of his band.

He said all the musicians he had played with during his lengthy career had "inspired me to play better".

Dee appeared to perform her 1974 chart-topping song Don't Go Breaking My Heart, which the pair sang together in 1976

John ended the main set with hit track Saturday Night's Alright, which concluded with fireworks and confetti cannons.

Moments later he returned to the stage to begin his encore, dressed in a sparkling Dodgers-themed dressing gown reminiscent of the outfit he wore during his 1975 show at the stadium.

He invited Lipa onstage to sing with him and the pair shared an embrace before performing a rendition of their hit song Cold Heart.

Sir Elton's first show at the stadium on Thursday marked his first time returning to the venue in almost five decades, having last performed there in 1975.

Ahead of the performance he shared a post to Instagram of himself poised over his piano wearing a bejewelled Dodgers team kit, in front of the packed out stadium.

John previously said that Los Angeles had been "the setting for some of the most important moments in my life".

"It's a place that Bernie and I were inspired by when we created music, it's the first place I ever performed in the US and it's where I've chosen to perform my final ever North American tour show," he said, as he first announced the tour.

With his Los Angeles shows concluded, John will next visit Australia and New Zealand before embarking on European tour dates.

The run will end with two special concerts on July 3 and 4 at Vicarage Road, the home of Watford Football Club, of which John became chairman in 1976.