Elton John’s Farewell Isn’t Quite Over Yet…
Elton John’s Farewell Isn’t Quite Over Yet…
There are some farewells that go exactly according to plan.
And then there is Elton John.
Having apparently said goodbye to the road, completed his enormous Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour and played what was billed as his final touring performance in Stockholm in 2023, Elton has now decided that there is one more little piece of unfinished business.
Mexico.
And, frankly, who could blame him?
One More Trip Down the Yellow Brick Road
Elton John has announced two special concerts in Mexico City on October 2 and 3, 2026, at Estadio Banorte.
These will be his first Mexico City performances in 14 years, and there's a particularly nice story behind them.
Mexico was supposed to be part of the original Farewell Yellow Brick Road itinerary, but the pandemic put paid to those plans. The dates couldn't be rescheduled at the time, leaving Elton's farewell tour with one rather sizeable loose end.
Now he's going back to tie it up.
And if you've ever tried to organise anything after a pandemic, you'll appreciate that getting the diary sorted in just three years is actually pretty impressive.
But This Isn't Really the Farewell Tour
Here's where things get interesting.
Although the concerts have naturally been described as a final farewell and are being reported in connection with the Farewell Yellow Brick Road era, Elton himself has been quite specific about what these shows actually are.
They aren't a continuation of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
Instead, Elton is preparing a special setlist specifically for his Mexican fans, bringing together songs from across his remarkable career. His official announcement describes the shows as a unique celebration rather than another leg of the old tour.
Which is probably the most Elton John solution imaginable.
“I've finished touring.”
“Except…”
Fourteen Years Is a Long Time
Elton's relationship with Mexico goes back much further than the new shows.
His first Mexico City performances came 34 years ago, when he played two concerts at the Azteca Stadium during his The One tour.
His most recent Mexico City appearances were rather more intimate: two Elton & Ray Cooper performances at the Auditorio Nacional in 2012.
So this October's concerts will mark his first Mexico City shows in 14 years.
That's quite a gap.
But when you've been performing for more than six decades, 14 years probably counts as popping out for a cup of tea.
A Career-Spanning Setlist
Perhaps the most exciting part for fans is that Elton isn't simply dusting off the old Farewell Yellow Brick Road running order.
He's curating a special setlist for Mexico, built around the songs that have meant the most to his fans and the biggest moments of his career.
And what a setlist that gives him to choose from.
We're talking about a catalogue that includes “Your Song,” “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Daniel,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” “Candle in the Wind,” “I'm Still Standing,” and so many others that you could probably keep the lights on at Estadio Banorte until Christmas.
Personally, I'd be fascinated to know what gets left out.
Because when you've written this many great songs, putting together a two-hour set must be rather like being asked to choose your favourite child.
Only with more piano.
The World's Longest Farewell?
There's something wonderfully human about this whole story.
Elton originally announced the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in 2018. It was intended to bring his touring career to an end in 2021, but the pandemic pushed the schedule around considerably, and the tour eventually concluded in 2023.
The final show took place in Stockholm after more than 300 performances over the course of the tour.
So, technically, Elton has already said goodbye.
But the Mexican shows aren't really about undoing that decision.
They're about finishing something that never got finished.
And I rather like that.
From The Beatles to Elton
I've always had a soft spot for the idea of a concert becoming part of your personal history.
Some performances are simply gigs.
Others become memories that stay with you for decades.
I've been lucky enough to experience that throughout my own life, from seeing The Beatles as a seven-year-old to watching some of the greatest performers of the last sixty years take to the stage.
Elton John is very much part of that story.
There are artists whose records you enjoy, and then there are artists whose music seems to accompany entire chapters of your life.
Elton is firmly in the second category for me.
His songs have appeared everywhere: on radios, record players, jukeboxes, in cars, at parties, during celebrations and in those quieter moments when a particular song suddenly means something completely different from the way it did twenty years earlier.
That's the wonderful thing about music.
The song doesn't change.
We do.
So… Is This Really Goodbye?
Probably.
But I've learned never to bet too heavily on the word “farewell” when Elton John is involved.
The man has already completed a five-year, 300-plus-show farewell tour and is now adding two special concerts because Mexico deserved its proper goodbye.
And there's something rather fitting about that.
On October 2 and 3, 2026, Elton John will walk onto a stage in Mexico City and celebrate a career that has stretched across generations.
Not another world tour.
Not another marathon of hundreds of dates.
Just two very special nights.
Two chances to say goodbye properly.
And if Elton happens to leave the door open for another one-off somewhere down the road…
Well, let's just say I'm not going to be shocked.
After all, the Yellow Brick Road has a habit of taking unexpected turns.
In My Life Radio — every song has a story. Every life has a soundtrack.
The information provided in this blog post is for general informational and educational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no representations or warranties of any kind about the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of this information. Any action you take based on the content on this blog is strictly at your own risk.