Sir Elton John has divulged he could never top his 2023 Glastonbury performance as he revealed his reason for retiring from touring. Having recently returned to the stage for a one off intimate performance in London's Palladium Theatre with Brandi Carlisle the 78-year-old father of two firmly ruled out doing any more tours of his own. Although he denied his retirement was due to health issues when he made the announcement back in 2018 he now says a tour would "just kill" him.

“To go back and do an Elton John set on tour, I would just kill myself. We went to New Orleans recently to film Spinal Tap 2. We drove into the back of a big arena and I turned to David and said, ‘You know, I’ve got hives.’ I couldn’t do a better show than Glastonbury 2023, so what would be the point? You have to know when to fold it,” he conceded in an interview with The Times. The five-time Grammy award winner announced in 2018 that his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour would be his final one.

At the time he said his "priorities have changed", adding that his and husband David Furnish's two sons, Elijah and Zachary, had changed their lives.

"In 2015 we sat down with a school schedule and I thought I don't want to miss too much of this... My life has changed, my priorities have changed and my priority now is my family."

He said the tour was a chance "to say thank you to all my fans around the world and then to say goodbye. It doesn't mean I'm not going to be creative any more. "I have had a good run... I want to go out with a bang.”

However Elton's plans went a bit awry as his tour was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Originally meant to end in 2021 it didn't wind up until 2023. It was an epic undertaking with more than 300 shows which were attended by more than 6million fans across the world. His final stop on his UK dates was the headline slot at the Glastonbury Festival he now says he couldn't top.

During the performance he emotionally admitted he “never thought” he'd play Glastonbury and said it was potentially his “last show ever in England and Great Britain”.

After opening with his 1975 hit Pinball Wizard he said: "Oh well, I never thought I'd ever play Glastonbury, but here I am.

"It's a very special and emotional night because it may be my last show ever in England and Great Britain. So I better play well and I better entertain you because you've been standing there for so long."

During the performance he brought on several guest stars for duets including The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers.

The next day he took to Instagram where he penned: “Thank you, Glastonbury! The energy last night was like nothing else, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the crowd and the people watching at home for all your love and support. You will be in my heart and soul forever. UK, what a farewell. I love you,” once more confirming his commitment to retiring.