Sir Elton John's most iconic stage outfits, as he's confirmed to headline Glastonbury

Orla Pentelow
·Fashion and Shopping Writer, Yahoo Life UK
·4-min read
Elton John will play in the traditional Sunday Legends slot at Glastonbury 2023. (Shutterstock/Getty Images)
Sir Elton John will play in the traditional Sunday Legends slot at Glastonbury 2023. (Shutterstock/Getty Images)

When you think of the ‘Legends’ slot on Glastonbury’s Sunday line-up, no one is as quite naturally fitting as Sir Elton John.

The iconic musician and singer – real name Reginald Dwight – has been announced as the headline act on the Pyramid stage for the Worthy Farm festival in 2023, as the final performance in his last-ever tour.

As much as John is known for his decade-spanning career, he’s also appreciated for his outstanding on-stage sense of style over the years, and his fashion influence is just as strong today as it was back in the early 1970s.

Read more: Sir Elton John announced for Glastonbury 2023

Often outrageous, mostly embellished (with feathers, gems, sequins and more - no addition is left out), definitely extravagant, and rarely subtle, John has curated one of the most-talked-about performance wardrobes in living memory over his 50-year career in the spotlight.

From deep-cut V-necks exposing plenty of 1970s-appropriate chest hair, to the biggest and best collection of sunglasses in showbiz, the influence of John's gender-bending signature style has transcended the music industry, and will forever form part of the fashion history rhetoric.

Elton John on stage at Dodgers stadium in 1975
Elton John on stage at Dodgers stadium in 1975, in one of his most famous outfits: a sequin-embellished baseball uniform. (Shutterstock)

He was styled in the Seventies by the likes of Bob Mackie, who also created some of Cher and Diana Ross’ best looks, as well as John’s Amadeus costume from his 1986 Australia tour, but in recent years, John’s style caught the eye of former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele.

The fashion designer looked to the Rocketman’s archive as inspiration for Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection, which featured several style points from John’s on-stage wardrobe, especially his larger-than-life bejewelled sunglasses.

Read more: Prince Harry thanks Sir Elton John for his friendship with his mother

And it's not just designers who have been inspired by John’s flamboyant fashion sense, the likes of Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga have all admitted to being influenced by the rock legend, both musically and sartorially.

As he’s announced as the headline act at Glastonbury 2023, take a look back at Elton John’s on-stage style trajectory, from the Seventies to present day.

Elton John's best and most extravagant stage outfits

1986

English singer, songwriter, pianist and composer, Sir Elton John, performs at Pine Knob Music Theatre during his
Elton John performing in Michigan in 1986. (Getty Images)

1976

LONDON - 1976: Elton John performs in concert circa 1976 in London, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Elton John performs in concert circa 1976. (Getty Images)

1986

Elton John during the Ice on Fire Tour performs at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota on August 22, 1986.
Elton John performing in Minnesota in 1986. (Getty Images)

1986

Elton John performing at Madison Square Garden in New York City on September 11, 1986. (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns)
Elton John performing at Madison Square Garden in 1986. (Getty Images)

2019

Elton John performs at HBF Park on November 30, 2019 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Faith Moran/Wireimage)
Elton John performs at HBF Park in Perth, Australia in 2019. (Getty Images)

1982

Elton John performs on stage at Hammersmith Odeon, on December 9th, 1982 in London, England. (Photo by Pete Still/Redferns)
Elton John on stage at Hammersmith Odeon in 1982. (Getty Images)

1974

Elton John singing on stage in Honolulu in 1974. (Getty Images)
Elton John singing on stage in Honolulu in 1974. (Getty Images)

1975

Cher, Elton John and Diana Ross at the Rock Awards in 1975. (Getty Images)
Cher, Elton John and Diana Ross at the Rock Awards in 1975. (Getty Images)

1977

British singer Elton John performing on stage in 1977. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Elton John performing on stage in 1977. (Getty Images)

1973

Elton John performing on stage at City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, 07 March 1973. (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)
Elton John performing in Newcastle in 1973. (Getty Images)

1973

British singer Elton John performs on stage during his Christmas show at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, UK, 21st December 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Elton John on stage during his Christmas show in 1973. (Getty Images)

1971

Elton John performs on stage at Shibuya-Kokaido, Tokyo, Japan, 10th May 1971. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Elton John performs on stage in Tokyo in 1971. (Getty Images)

1974

5th May 1974: British pop singer and pianist Elton John on stage before a vast crowd at an open-air concert. (Photo by Jack Kay/Express/Getty Images)
Elton John on stage in 1974. (Getty Images)
British musician Elton John (born Reginald Dwight) performs in concert, August 26,1984 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in Irvine, California. (Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)
Elton John in concert in 1984. (Getty Images)

1974

Elton John performing on stage in a shiny costume at Hawaii International Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, October 1974. (Photo by Robert Knight Archive/Redferns)
Elton John performing on stage in Honolulu in 1974. (Getty Images)

1975

English singer, pianist and composer Elton John performs on stage during the West of the Rockies tour on October 25, 1975 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images)
Elton John performing on stage in 1975 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)

1974

Elton John performing on stage in 1974. (Getty Images)
Elton John performing on stage in 1974. (Getty Images)

Watch: Elton John will back his sons if they pursue a career in music

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