Can you feel the love tonight
Disney+ to livestream Elton John's farewell U.S. show
History will be made Sunday night when “ELTON JOHN LIVE: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” is livestreamed globally on Disney+.
That’s a first for the streaming service and the three-hour telecast is major in that it marks the final concert in America for the beloved hitmaker and the end of his years’ long Farewell Tour.
Key here is a tribute to the seminal moment in 1975 that cemented his global success. “There’s just huge historical significance,” enthused executive producer Ben Winston in a Zoom interview with his fellow exec producer Gabe Turner. “The 1975 gig is one of the most iconic shows of Elton’s career — and he’d be the first one to say that! Whether it be because of the performance that night, where he was in his career or the Terry O’Neill photographs that depicted the night so incredibly, that night symbolizes something absolutely magical about him.
“So for us to be here many, many years later in 2022 with his last show in America? There’s a massive nostalgic, historical, beautiful and emotional feeling to this show that I don’t think we’ll have seen in other shows before.
“Because saying farewell is always an emotional thing. I hope we can film it and reflect it in the right way to make it a really special night.”
With no commercials and guest celebs coming onstage like Kiki Dee who will reprise her 1976 duet with Elton, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and Brandi Carlile, a current seven-Grammy nominee, magic will be in the air.
“What’s really interesting is we’re doing a 20-minute live show in a lead-up to Elton coming on where we’re going to look back at why this is such a historical moment, why Elton’s hanging up his piano.
“We also asked a lot of celebrities to contribute and send messages and it’s been phenomenal the amount of people who have wanted to contribute. From the president of the United States all the way to David Beckham sending in messages. We have hundreds and will play some out in the show as well. So it’s going to be a starstudded night as Elton deserves for his farewell to American touring.”
Still, this live event means it begins at 11 p.m. on the East Coast — and 4 a.m. in London. “It’s rock ‘n roll! Sometimes rock ‘n roll waits for no one. That’s it! You just have an Elton John warm-up party,” Turner suggests, “with the glasses, the feather boa, the sequined jacket.”
But actually, he confirmed, “As soon as the live show is finished people can catch it on the Disney+ platform.”