Following the initial postponement of Elton John's five date UK/ Ireland October 'Red Piano' tour comes the announcement, that contrary to an earlier statement, the tour will now no longer go ahead.

When Elton John fell ill just prior to the UK/ Ireland leg of his tour, the dates were postponed one-by-one, until the entire tour had been postponed, with a recommendation that ticket-holders hold-tight for the to-be-announced 2010 dates, but now, due to the scale of the tour and unavailability of the UK/ Ireland venues, the 'Red Piano' dates have now been cancelled altogether, with ticket-holders advised to obtain a refund from their point of purchase.

The star is reported to have recovered from his flu and e-coli illness, with him now completing his remaining US tour dates. An official statement posted on his promoter's site (Marshall Arts) reads:

Elton has been overwhelmed by the tremendous loyalty and messages of support he has received from his fans in the UK and is terribly disappointed not to have been able to perform the shows.
All ticket holders should apply to their point of ticket purchase for their refund.

Elton John's only 2010 UK performance will now be a fund-raising gig at the home of his beloved Watford FC (Vicarage Road) on 29th May. Tickets are available from www.watfordfc.com (requires log-in).