Photo: Terry O'Neill / Iconic Images
Elton John is celebrating an incredible milestone this month: it is the 50th anniversary of his iconic back-to-back performances at Dodger Stadium, which took place on October 25th and 26th in 1975.
In October 1975, Los Angeles witnessed one of the most spectacular moments in rock history when Elton John took the stage for two sold-out nights at Dodger Stadium. The British superstar performed to a combined crowd of 110,000 fans, becoming the first solo artist to play the venue since The Beatles in 1966. The concerts captured Elton at the peak of his powers — an artist who had transcended pop stardom to become a full-fledged cultural phenomenon.
By that point, Elton John was unstoppable. Earlier that year, he released Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. The city of Los Angeles even declared it “Elton John Week,” and the atmosphere surrounding those shows was pure celebration. Fans flocked to Dodger Stadium in sequins and platform shoes, ready to see the man who had redefined what a rock star could be.
Elton’s performance was a dazzling mix of showmanship and sincerity. Wearing his now-iconic blue sequined Dodgers uniform designed by Bob Mackie, he powered through more than 30 songs over three hours, including hits like “Bennie and the Jets,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Your Song,” and “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.” He was joined by Kiki Dee for their duet “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and even welcomed Billie Jean King, who helped sing backup on “Philadelphia Freedom,” the anthem he’d written in her honor.
Those two nights weren’t just concerts, they were a cultural event. Under the California sky, Elton John turned Dodger Stadium into a glittering, euphoric celebration of music, individuality, and joy. The images from that weekend — Elton at the piano in his rhinestone baseball uniform, bat slung over his shoulder — became some of the most enduring in pop history. Decades later, when Elton returned to Dodger Stadium in 2022 for his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour," the moment came full circle, closing a chapter that began half a century earlier with two unforgettable nights that defined an era.
Photo: Getty Images