Saturday night's alright for a farewell: Elton John plays final Canadian concert

Elton John fans in Vancouver dressed for the occasion and sang along Saturday as the singer and musician known as "Rocket Man" performed one last time in Canada as part of a farewell tour set to wrap up globally in mid-2023.

John, 75, played two shows at Vancouver's B.C. Place, the last Canadian dates of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour, on Friday and Saturday.

"Good evening Vancouver!," he said Saturday after opening with his hits Bennie and The Jets and Philadelphia Freedom. 

"Tonight's a most special night because it's our last show in Vancouver and our last show in Canada, so we better make it a night to remember."

John took to the stage wearing a black tuxedo with tails that had sparkling trim. He wore pink glasses with matching rhinestones.

Many of the thousands of fans at B.C. Place wore sparkling outfits, feather boas and large sunglasses — signature looks the performer has donned over his half-century-long career.

He's released 31 albums since 1969 with many of his songs co-written with lyricist Bernie Taupin. One the duo's biggest hits was Rocket Man in 1972.

Here's what fans in Vancouver had to say about what his music and how it shaped their lives:

John's opening song Saturday night pleased Tucson Pearl, 39, who drove from Oliver to see the show. He said Bennie and The Jets is his favourite John tune.

"He's an icon," he said.

He said the concert, billed as John's last in Canada, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His wife Kerry Pearl, 40, said they don't often splurge on concert tickets or trip to go to concerts, but this one was a must.

"It's Elton John. I love Elton John. He's my favourite, I love his music, he's got great style," she said. "He has a song for everything and he just helps you through your tired moments in life."

Kerry Pearl said he listened to so many John songs while she and her husband raised their children, that her oldest son named one of their cats Elton John.

John Kubus, 81, came with 15 members of his family, all from across B.C. and Alberta, to see Elton John perform in Vancouver.