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At the New York Film Festival (NYFF) screening of the upcoming Disney+ documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, he held a rare public performance. Since retiring from touring in 2023, John hardly ever performs live. He still has it, though.
In videos captured after the screening, John is seen performing one of his signature songs, “Tiny Dancer.” He is performing it solo with just him and the piano.
Elton John performs 'Tiny Dancer' at the #NYFF after a screening of his documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late" pic.twitter.com/XvZhoLjEZs
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 2, 2024
This gave attendees a unique experience seeing it in New York City. Never Too Late previously held its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6, 2024.
Disney Branded Television and Elton John's Rocket Entertainment co-produced the documentary. It will receive a limited theatrical release in the United States and United Kingdom ahead of its Disney+ release.
Never Too Late was co-directed by R. J. Cutler and John's husband, David Furnish. The documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour—which spanned nearly five years—and his private life.
This is not the first collaboration between John and Disney. Previously, John's final concert in the United States from Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California, was live-streamed on Disney+.
The concert took place on November 20, 2022, and featured special guests like Brandi Carlile, Kiki Dee, and Dua Lipa. The full concert is still available on the streaming service.
Disney+'s Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium won an Emmy for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). This helped propel John to EGOT status. EGOT status means he won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award in his illustrious career.
Why Elton John does not perform live anymore
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The reason it is so rare to see John perform live is because his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour ended. As the title suggests, it was his final concert tour after spending decades on the road.
The tour went on from September 8, 2018, to July 8, 2023. The delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic extended it, but still, the 330-date tour provided fans a chance to see him around the world. John played a total of nine legs throughout the five years.
His farewell tour started right after his two-year Wonderful Crazy Night Tour, which ran from January 13, 2016, to July 1, 2018. It was a quick turnaround for him and his band. Luckily, the farewell tour consisted of his greatest hits he knows well.
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour began with a show in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He then performed a European leg of the tour in 2019 before returning to North America later in the year.
In the subsequent years, John visited Oceania before playing several more legs in North America and Europe. The final show took place on July 8, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden.
While he has retired from touring, John clearly is still open to performing live. Elton John's NYFF performance opens the door for more appearances here and there for the “Your Song” singer. Hopefully, this is not the last we see of him singing in the near future.
