Elton John marks '52 years of pure joy' with final tour performance: See photos

Elton John closed a musical era Saturday with his final planned tour performance in Stockholm nearly 52 years to the day the 76-year-old first performed there, he told the crowd, calling that period "52 years of pure joy."

The British superstar said the night was "magical."

"I'm trying to process it, and I don't think it will sink in for a while yet that I've finally finished touring," John said in a statement shared with USA TODAY Monday. "I can't tell you how much I'm going to miss the fans and how much their support has humbled me — it will stay with me forever."

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour began nearly five years ago in 2018. His last show Saturday in Sweden happened around two years later than the singer intended it to, thanks to a hip injury that forced him to rearrange his schedule.

"When we set off on my final tour in 2018, I couldn't have foreseen in my wildest dreams the twists and turns and the highs and lows this tour — and the whole world — would have experienced in the next five years," John said. "And every step of the way, my fans have been there. They have stuck with me, they have supported me, they have been patient, and they have kept turning out for every single last show."

The "Tiny Dancer" singer bid America farewell in November, with his final U.S. performance at Dodger Stadium — the famed setting for John's 1975 breakout stadium concerts.

Take a look at John's final tour performance Saturday in photos.

See the best photos of Elton John at his final tour performance

John took the stage in a dazzling outfit — one of many the singer has donned over the years that have gone hand in hand with his electrifying performances.

Fans who packed the stadium were able to see John not only on the stage but in a larger-than-live iteration on a massive screen.

In heart-shaped, pink-tinted sunnies, John looked out toward the crowd as he sat at his piano on stage.

The crowd took video with some moments from his performance and later shared them to social media, including his final song and speech of the final show, for which he sang "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."

The stage was adorned with a gold border with "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" embossed across the stage-framing feature. As he sang, some throwback photos and videos splayed across the big screen during his "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" recital.

'Be kind to each other': Emotional Elton John bids America farewell from Dodger Stadium

Contributing: Bryan Alexander

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elton John's final tour show: See Farewell Yellow Brick Road photos