Sir Elton John stuns celebrity-packed crowd at exclusive Battersea Power Station show
The new development at Battersea Power Station launched last night with a special performance from Sir Elton John at a glittering celebrity bash.
The iconic building, which is currently undergoing a £750 million facelift to be turned into luxury homes, played host to the party which saw prospective buyers rubbing shoulders with the stars for a greatest hits performance from the legendary singer.
Thousands packed in beneath the famous chimneys for a one-off performance by the 67-year-old, who reportedly charges as much as £600,000 for a private show, with proceeds going to charity.
The electric 90-minute set, which was watched by showbiz names including Grace Jones, Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington, comedian Jack Whitehall and his actress girlfriend Gemma Chan, included hits such as Rocketman, Your Song, Tiny Dancer and Benny and the Jets.
Bounding on to the stage in a sparkling black jacket, Sir Elton told the audience: “I never thought I’d be playing in Battersea Power Station. It’s going to be an amazing development.”
Invites for the exclusive event had been sent to those who had expressed interest in the 3,500 homes planned for the site, which start at £800,000 for a studio and go up to £4 million for a four-bedroom home.
With no model homes yet to show, instead the site was transformed into a lavish festival complete with food vans and entertainers, with a dazzling light show across the building finishing off the night.
Battersea Power Station party
Harington told the Standard: “I’d never seen a proper show and that was beautiful. A real artist like him gets everyone dancing at the end.”
Made in Chelsea’s Ollie Locke had more reasons than the music to support Sir Elton.
“I work a lot with his AIDS foundation. My uncle died of Aids in the 80s so I support anything he does because I think he is amazing,” he said.
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Actor Ian McKellen was also on the guest list, but was potentially a victim of the tube strike as he was spotted squeezed into a packed tube earlier in the evening and there was no sign of him at the gig.
The party, which will be an annual event, raised money for four local charities including Battersea Cats and Dogs Home.
Rob Tincknell, CEO of Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “Thank you to Sir Elton John for a stunning show at our first party, held to celebrate the remarkable heritage of the site and recognise the efforts of so many people who are helping to create a new vibrant community at Battersea Power Station. The power is definitely back on at Battersea.”
The site is owned by Malaysian investors who last month unveiled designs for 1,300 homes by esteemed architects Frank Gehry, who designed the Bilbao Guggenheim, and Norman Foster, who built the Gherkin.
