Sir Elton John to perform at the White House on Friday

Sir Elton John will perform for President Joe Biden and guests at the White House on Friday night to celebrate the British superstar’s epic global farewell tour and contributions to American culture.

The concert is being called “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme”, a nod to a poem by Irishman Seamus Heaney, a go-to reference in Mr Biden’s past speeches.

The president and the first lady are scheduled to speak at the event, the White House said.

The performance will be held on a stage being erected on the South Lawn and promises to be an evening that celebrates the “unifying and healing power of music”, the White House said in an announcement.

It will also “commend the life and work of Sir Elton John, and honour the everyday history-makers in the audience”, the White House said.

The gathering signals a return to normality following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. The event is taking place outside and all guests will require a negative test.

The singer, who made his American debut at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1970, was ranked the top solo artist in US chart history in a 2019 Billboard list, and third overall behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

He was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth in 1998 for his service to music and charitable contributions to the UK.

His Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour began in 2018 and will have included more than 300 worldwide shows before wrapping up in Sweden next year.

There have been many concerts and performers at the White House throughout history, mostly military-affiliated bands.

Jimmy Carter earned the nickname “rock and roll president” after Bob Dylan, the Allman brothers and Willie Nelson hit the campaign trail with the underdog candidate.

Mr Carter would go to host numerous musical events at the White House which are documented in the 2020 film Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.