Elton John returns to stage at Dua Lipa show

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Ben Gibson Elton John and Dua Lipa on stage at London's Royal Albert Hall

Sir Elton John has returned to the stage, more than a year after his farewell tour ended, in a surprise appearance with Dua Lipa.

The musicians teamed up at London's Royal Albert Hall on Thursday to perform their hit duet Cold Heart, which combines four of Sir Elton's old hits including Sacrifice and Rocket Man.

The crowd jumped to their feet as Sir Elton was revealed - seated on a chair but resplendent in a burgundy suit - towards the end of the concert.

The 77-year-old, who recently announced he was recovering from a severe eye infection that has impacted his vision, delivered impressively resonant vocals as he swayed along with Dua, even conducting the crowd on the final chorus.

"Well, how about that?" smiled Dua as the song ended.

It was only the second time the musicians had performed their chart-topping single together live.

Their last duet took place at Sir Elton's final US concert at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles almost two years ago.

Lloyd Wakefield Dua Lipa performs in a red John Paul Gaultier dress at the Royal Albert Hall

Thursday's surprise appearance came towards the end of a one-off concert, during which Dua Lipa played her hits backed by a 53-piece orchestra and a 14-member choir.

The event, which was being filmed for TV, concentrated largely on the star's latest album, Radical Optimism, with the set list including hits like Houdini, Training Season and Illusion.

She also played her Barbie single Dance the Night live for the first time, joined by a group of dancers performing the choreography from Greta Gerwig's movie.

"What a dream it is to be in this room," she told the audience, wearing a figure-hugging, Jessica Rabbit-style Jean Paul Gaultier dress.

"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."

Lloyd Wakefiled Dua Lipa performs at the Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall's floor was transformed into a swirling catwalk for the evening, and Dua wound her way through the orchestra as she performed cuts including Levitating, Pretty Please and the early single Be The One ("a song that's changed my life and allowed me to be here on stage tonight").

The Heritage Orchestra, led by Ben Foster, added new flourishes to her back catalogue, with funky stabs of brass punctuating Pretty Please, and Maria gaining a playful Mariachi vibe.

A dramatic, string-drenched cover of Cleo Sol's single Sunshine also lent credence to the rumours that Dua could record the next Bond theme.

Stripped of the need for choreography, the show highlighted the star's live vocals - which were clear and powerful, even though the orchestra sometimes threatened to drown her out.

After playing for more than an hour, she changed into a black Chanel ball gown for the encore - with confetti raining down from the ceiling as she launched into a Studio 54-infused version of Don't Start Now.

The concert was the star's only UK show of 2024 apart from her Glastonbury headline appearance.

She will now jet off to Asia to commence her Radical Optimism world tour, which will reach the UK for a run of stadium dates next summer.