Sir Elton John made a triumphant return to the stage, more than a year after his farewell tour, with a surprise appearance alongside Dua Lipa at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
The legendary musician joined Dua towards the end of her concert on Thursday night to perform their chart-topping duet Cold Heart.
The song blends four of Sir Elton’s classic hits, including Sacrifice and Rocket Man.
The audience erupted in applause as the 77-year-old icon appeared on stage, seated in a chair and dressed in a stylish burgundy suit.
Despite recently revealing he is recovering from a serious eye infection that has affected his vision, Sir Elton’s vocals were as powerful as ever.
He swayed along with Dua during the performance and even conducted the crowd during the final chorus. As the song ended, Dua smiled and said, “Well, how about that?”
This marked only the second time the two stars had performed Cold Heart live together, their previous duet taking place at Sir Elton’s final US concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles nearly two years ago.
Thursday’s surprise duet capped off a one-off concert by Dua Lipa, who was backed by a 53-piece orchestra and a 14-member choir.
The event, which was filmed for TV, showcased her latest album, Radical Optimism.
The setlist included hits like Houdini, Training Season, and Illusion. In a special moment, Dua also performed her Barbie soundtrack hit, Dance the Night, live for the first time, accompanied by dancers performing the choreography from Greta Gerwig’s movie.
Dua, wearing a figure-hugging Jean Paul Gaultier dress reminiscent of Jessica Rabbit, expressed her excitement to be performing at the historic venue.
“What a dream it is to be in this room,” she told the crowd. “There have been so many notable figures on this stage, like Winston Churchill, Charles De Gaulle, and Einstein. But I’m almost 99% sure they didn’t have a dress as nice as this.”
The floor of the Royal Albert Hall was transformed into a swirling catwalk, with Dua weaving her way through the orchestra as she performed fan favorites like Levitating, Pretty Please, and Be The One, the song she credited with launching her career.
The Heritage Orchestra, conducted by Ben Foster, added a fresh flair to her back catalog, with brass accents energizing Pretty Please and a Mariachi twist on Maria.
Dua also delivered a dramatic, string-heavy rendition of Cleo Sol’s Sunshine, fueling speculation that she may record the next James Bond theme song.
Free from the demands of choreography, the concert emphasized her strong live vocals, which remained clear and commanding despite the orchestra occasionally threatening to overpower her.
After more than an hour on stage, Dua returned for an encore, donning a black Chanel ball gown as confetti rained down while she performed a disco-infused version of Don’t Start Now.
This concert marked her only UK performance of 2024, apart from her upcoming headline slot at Glastonbury.
Dua is now set to embark on the Radical Optimism world tour, which will return to the UK next summer for a series of stadium shows.
