Sir Elton John is reportedly preparing for a Las Vegas hologram residency that is said to feature technology even more advanced than the one used in ABBA Voyage.
The 79 year old music icon, who retired from touring in 2023, is believed to have signed a lucrative agreement for the production at the new Hard Rock Hotel, which is scheduled to open in Las Vegas next year.
The show is expected to feature Elton performing as a hologram, while digital versions of his collaborators Dua Lipa and Kiki Dee will appear alongside him for special duet performances.
A source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: “Elton, Dua and Kiki will be holograms. It’s similar to the ABBA Voyage show in London, but far more advanced as the technology has come on so much.
“Elton signed a seven-figure deal with Hard Rock. It’s a shift away from a traditional residency and is billed as a fully immersive experience.
“It’s going to look phenomenal.”
ABBA Voyage has proved to be a huge financial success for the Swedish pop group since they reunited as digital "Abba tars" in 2022. The virtual concert, which launched in May of that year, combines cutting edge motion capture technology with the band's original vocals and has attracted millions of fans.
Although he has reduced his live appearances, Elton has made it clear that he has no plans to stop creating music.
He recently revealed that he has quietly finished recording a brand new album, explaining that problems with his eyesight forced him to completely rethink the way he writes songs.
While accepting the Glenn Gould Prize at the Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto in May, the I'm Still Standing singer explained that his vision problems prevented him from using his usual songwriting process, which begins with lyrics.
He told the audience: “I’ve had eye trouble recently and I always make records by looking at lyrics and writing to lyrics, and so I’m kind of f***** at the moment.
“For the first time in more than 50 years, Elton said he completely reversed the way he creates music.
“What my eye has given me is a chance of, at 80 years of age, completely reversing how I write. I’m writing melodies first, and lyrics coming second. I’ve never done that. And I’ve just done it."
The new approach inspired what Elton described as a fresh creative chapter, leading to an album unlike anything he has previously released.
He added: "I’ve just done an album, which is so different to anything I’ve ever done before, but it’s so happy. I’m so thrilled with it because it’s given me another chance to make music.”
Elton retired from touring three years ago after bringing his massive Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour to a close following more than 300 performances. Last year, he released Who Believes in Angels? with Brandi Carlile.
His eyesight problems began while he was in France during the summer of 2024, when an infection caused him to lose vision in his right eye.
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