Elton John wowed the crowd at Glastonbury in a three-hour performance that included all of his biggest hits. The Rocketman singer, who has previously stated that this would be his final performance, was joined on stage by singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez and The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers. The performance was watched by over 7 million viewers on the BBC, making it one of the most-watched TV shows of the year so far.
The Audience
According to Barb data from overnights.tv, Elton John’s performance drew a near-50% audience share, making it by far the most-watched Glastonbury set across the weekend on the BBC. Early estimates had the performance as one of the most-watched of all time, possibly eclipsing Dolly Parton in 2014 at well over 100,000. The legendary British singer’s performance was also by miles the most-watched of the festival, eclipsing Saturday night’s headliner Guns ‘N’ Roses’ ratings with ease, which hit just over 1 million, while Arctic Monkeys on Friday saw 1.5 million tune in.
The Festival
The last few days of Glastonbury saw a packed and vibrant festival as the weather stood firm. The festival, one of the world’s biggest, also featured performances from the likes of Blondie, Lana Del Rey, Cat Stevens, and Lewis Capaldi. Capaldi’s performance was watched by 2.2 million viewers, but he struggled with his Tourette’s syndrome on stage and was forced to cut his set short.
The Controversy
The festival was not without controversy, as a screening of Oh, Jeremy Corbyn, The Big Lie was pulled after Jewish groups accused it of peddling antisemitic conspiracy theories, and an artist demanded that footage of her performance be removed from the BBC’s platforms after receiving abuse.
Overall, Elton John’s performance at Glastonbury was a huge success, drawing a massive audience and cementing his status as a music icon. The festival as a whole proved to be a vibrant and exciting event, showcasing some of the biggest names in music today. While not without its controversies, Glastonbury remains one of the world’s premier music festivals and a must-see event for music fans everywhere.