By Kasia Bugaj

It may have been a venue made famous by Pink Floyd, when a derelict and abandoned power station – London’s first – was the backdrop for the rockers. And Battersea Power Station has been revisited by artists ever since the late 1970s. But on 28 September 2026 I had the privilege to see it put to best use as Elton John took to the stage for the opening of the new Apple Music Hall.

It was all completely spontaneous. Tickets went on sale at 10:00 am on the day of the show, and the show was scheduled the same evening. Only about 600 tickets were available, and unfortunately, ticket sales were blocked in Poland. I wasn’t able to get a ticket and neither were my friends but I decided to fly to London anyway.

I was hoping I’d somehow manage to get inside, but it didn’t work out. Security told me the tickets had sold out in a few seconds. At first, I was a little disappointed after all that traveling but then we all got a nice surprise.

Standing Room Only

The show was streamed live globally across Apple Music platforms and it was also projected live onto the wall of a building. So instead of being inside, we stood outside with other Elton fans watching the show together. The atmosphere was unique.

Elton started with Your Song and then he did The Greatest Discovery. I was wondering when he played it the last time. He admitted to being a bit unsure performing solo for the first time in a few years and I think that’s why he sounded a little nervous at times. He’s used to the band singing backup for him so he got a little lost a few times.

During the song Goodbye Yellow Brick Road he had a few minor slip-ups but what I liked was that he didn’t get upset about it—he just kept going. He said he hit the wrong note and then sang it again. It showed that even Elton makes mistakes sometimes. I also liked that he lowered his voice on the high notes and didn’t try to sing them with strain.

Elton sounded fantastic…I can say I’ve never heard him so good solo.

And even though I didn’t manage to get inside, I had lots of fun catching up with other fans. It was another Elton adventure!

Gallery (Photos Kasia Bugaj):