Elton John took the Istanbul stage Tuesday night with a memorable concert after 18 years.

Legendary British singer Sir Elton John returned to Istanbul for the first time in 18 years to stage a memorable concert Tuesday night at Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park in Beşiktaş.

 “It is a pleasure to be here after 18 years. I have many good friends here in the crowd,” John told the audience of about 4,000, blowing kisses to the spectators after each song.

 Starting with “Funeral for a friend” from his “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” John sang a total of 22 songs during the two-hour concert.

While John largely stuck to some of his older work, he also performed three new songs from his latest album. The climax of the evening was his rendering of the song, “Sacrifice.” Another popular John number, “Rocket Man,” also excited the audience.

The performance Tuesday was organized by Map Communication and sponsored by ERGO Insurance.

John and his band were scheduled to perform Wednesday night in Ankara.