Elton John Launches Weekly Archival Concert Series on YouTube

Elton John has announced a weekly archival concert footage series that will air on his official YouTube channel, beginning this Friday, July 3rd, at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Elton John: Classic Concert Series will premiere with Live at the Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh, from 1976, and will be followed by five more weekly concert sets, each running two hours. The series will raise funds toward the Elton John AIDS Foundation in support of COVID-19 relief efforts.

“My Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund helps frontline partners prepare for and respond to the pandemic and its effects on HIV prevention and care for the most marginalized communities,” John says. “We cannot jeopardize HIV testing and care during this time or else the results could be disastrous for the 37.5 million people living with HIV. So, I’m really happy to connect this YouTube Concert series to benefit our Foundation’s urgent COVID response.”

Live at the Playhouse Theatre was recorded as part of the Edinburgh Festival of Popular Music on September 17th, 1976, and shows John at the height of his popularity, having just enjoyed his first U.K. Number One single with “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” The solo set also features performances of “Rocket Man,” “Daniel,” and “Bennie and the Jets.”