Elton John announces farewell tour, including Nassau Coliseum show

Elton John will retire from touring following a massive farewell — a three-year, 300-show global outing — befitting the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s legendary career.

“My priorities in my life are now my children, my husband, my family,” John, 70, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper at a lavish event at Gotham Hall in Manhattan on Wednesday, after performing “Tiny Dancer” and “I’m Still Standing.” John said he was tired of traveling and wanted to spend more time with his sons, 5-year-old Elijah and 7-year-old Zachary, as well as his husband, David Furnish.

Before he stops touring, though, the “Rocket Man” singer said he wants to thank his fans around the world with his most ambitious tour yet. “I don’t want to go out with a whimper,” he said. “I want to go out with a bang.”

The “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour,” which will start Sept. 8 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will include shows at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 18-19 and Nov. 8, as well as a stop at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on March 8, 2019. A stop at Nassau Coliseum is planned for the fall of 2019, though an exact date hasn’t been announced yet.

Tickets for the initial run of shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 2 through Ticketmaster. American Express cardholders can purchase presale tickets starting at 10 a.m. Thursday.

John will perform on the Grammys ceremony Sunday night with Miley Cyrus at Madison Square Garden, as he and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin receive the Recording Academy President’s Merit Award. The Grammys will also pay tribute to him with a star-studded concert at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, featuring Keith Urban, John Legend and Miranda Lambert.

John said that once he retires from touring, he still plans to record more albums and possibly work on more Broadway shows like “The Lion King.” However, he said he would not change his mind about the grind of traveling. He promised he would not be one of those artists who have multiple “farewell” tours.

“I’m not Cher, even though I like wearing her clothes,” he joked. “This is the end.”