Elton John’s Petco Park concert raised more than $11.5 million in support of San Diego-based Curebound’s fight against cancer, the nonprofit announced Tuesday.
The May 9 benefit also marks a new milestone for San Diego – it’s the largest and most successful single-day fundraising event in the city’s history.
The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer, who completed his retirement tour in 2023, returned to the stage at Petco before more than 27,000 people for the Concert for Cures.
He entered in all-yellow suit (sans yellow hat and monkey) to a standing ovation. The 78-year-old shared briefly about his own fight with prostate cancer before quickly switching gears to have fun.
Starting off with a playful riff on the piano with “Benny and the Jets,” John played hit after hit from his impressive catalog. He left retirement for his only show of 2025, reuniting with one original and many longtime band members.
The giant jumbotron filled with photos and messages about people lost to cancer or encouraging those still fighting. The friendly audience became a place of connection and community around a shared love of John’s music and cancer patients in everyone’s lives.
“We are profoundly grateful for the outpouring of support from our community, our sponsors and Elton John,” Curebound CEO Anne Marbarger said in a news release. “This concert was about more than music — it was about momentum and raising funds we urgently need to fast-track collaborative cancer research that supports our vision of cures in our lifetime.”
Since launching in 2022, Concert for Cures has raised $20 million to support early-phase adult and pediatric cancer research at Southern California’s research institutions.
Previous headliners included pop stars Alicia Keys — performing with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in 2022 — and Ed Sheeran the following year. Both took the stage before sell-out crowds at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park before Curebound moved the benefit to Petco Park.
Curebound has raised more than $55 million to support cancer research, enabling more than 145 studies across multiple types of cancers.
