Elton John Performs 24-Song Concert at 2026 Rock in Rio

When Elton John moved his Rock in Rio performance up by 65 minutes on Monday, Sept. 7, observers assumed weather prompted the change because thunderstorms had hit the City of Rock for the previous three days.

The British superstar actually wanted to take the stage early enough to deliver a full concert consisting of 24 songs over two hours and 15 minutes, which ran longer than a typical festival set. The rain let up in time for the audience to hear him sing.

The performance surpassed every previous headliner at this year’s festival in stage time and number of songs, as Foo Fighters played 19, Avenged Sevenfold 14, and Calvin Harris 21. John explained that he decided to come to Brazil after wrapping his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour in July 2023 because the country was left off the itinerary.

“I felt a little mean about that,” he said. “I accepted Rock in Rio’s invitation to thank you once again for all the love you’ve shown me throughout my career.”

The setlist served as an expanded version of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road show, with 20 of Monday night’s 24 songs appearing in the 23-song set from the final stretch of the tour.

John wore a yellow blazer and matching pants over a navy shirt, blue glasses, sparkling earrings, a pendant, and bracelets when he took the stage promptly at 11 p.m.

Elton John Brings His Farewell Tour Repertoire to Rock in Rio

Fans across the festival grounds wore Los Angeles Dodgers jerseys with No. 1 on the back, oversize star- and heart-shaped glasses, sequins, and glitter.

The sold-out concert drew more than 100,000 people despite the weather forecast. The crowd reacted when Elton John appeared on the screen covering the Mundo Stage, which debuted with nearly 25,800 square feet of high-definition LED panels across a 351-foot-wide structure. Reporters and critics in the press room described the screen as a movie theater with a stage cut into the middle.

The crowd sang along from the opening number, “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.” John moved between ballads and upbeat hits from his catalog.

The set included “Tiny Dancer,” “Sacrifice,” “Honky Cat,” “Rocket Man,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Sad Songs (Say So Much),” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” John dedicated “Crocodile Rock” to the Brazilian audience.

Arrangements stayed close to the original recordings, except for “Cold Heart,” which used the electronic style of his collaboration with Dua Lipa. Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Ray Cooper, John Mahon, Kim Bullard, and Matt Bissonette backed John. The night ended with “Your Song.”

If Elton John felt he owed Brazilian fans something, the debt is now fully paid.