Sir Elton John will headline the Henley festival but hints he will cut down on touring

“My sons are growing up so quickly; their early years are just flying by and I want to be there with them"

Elton John performs at a concert on the "All The Hits Tour" in Hong Kong (Reuters)

Sir Elton John will headline the Henley Festival after indicating that he will cut back on global touring to spend time with his children.

The musician will perform on the festival's Floating Stage on 6 July, organisers said. The five-day festival, set on the banks of the River Thames and which started in 1983, features music, comedy and dance, and is expected to attract about 35,000 people.

Sir Elton and his band will also perform as headliners at the Nocturne festival in Blenheim Palace, set in the Oxfordshire countryside, on 26 June.

The star said: “I am thrilled that I will be able to say I have played the beautiful Henley-on-Thames. The simple truth is I want to spend more time with my family, and I am only too aware of just how precious the time ahead is.

“My sons are growing up so quickly; their early years are just flying by and I want to be there with them. So these concerts will give me the chance to thank the British audiences who have been so faithful to me over these many decades.

“We cannot get to everyone but I am going to try. I remember my first show in Oxford – towards the end of our 1972 tour of the UK with the great Linda Lewis on support – and am so glad to be playing my first show there in 10 years.”