Elton John Pledges $1 Million Towards Bushfire Relief During Concert in Sydney

Elton John drew cheers from an ecstatic Sydney crowd on Tuesday evening, January 7, when he pledged a million dollars towards bushfire relief efforts during his concert in the Qudos Bank Arena.

Elton was performing in Sydney as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour. “There are people out there who lost their lives trying to save homes. There are people who have lost their lives and their homes. And lastly is the plight of the animals and the loss of their habitat that, frankly, is on a biblical scale and heartbreaking,” he said. “Therefore, tonight, I will be pledging $1 million to support the bushfire relief fund.”

Australia is undergoing a record-breaking bushfire season, with over eight million hectares burnt by January 6, according to The Guardian. In a statement released on Tuesday, the World Wildlife Fund estimated that over one billion animals had been killed by the fires. Credit: Caitlyn Hurley via Storyful