Elton John's promoters say the stricken pop legend will be okay to kick off his Australian tour later this week despite cancelling his two remaining New Zealand shows.
A tearful Sir Elton, suffering from mild pneumonia, was forced to retire mid-show in Auckland on Sunday when his voice gave way as he attempted his classic ballad Daniel.
That led to the cancellation of gigs on Thursday and Friday night at Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium, which have been rescheduled for January.
Sir Elton is due in Melbourne on Saturday to kick off his Australian tour.
Promoter Chugg Entertainment said "all remaining Australian shows will go ahead as planned".
The shows are the legendary performer's last tour to Australia, part of his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour, which began in late 2018.
Sir Elton said in a statement he was "incredibly disappointed" and sent his sincerest apologies to his fans.
"I always want to be able to give 100 per cent and I'm afraid that, right now, I'm not able to do that. I am grateful for the love and loyalty I have been shown by all of you and I can't wait to return in January next year to perform my final New Zealand shows," he said.
Video clips posted online by fans at Sunday night's performance showed the singer breaking down as he told the cheering crowd he couldn't go on any longer.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern enjoyed a brief audience with Sir Elton prior to the show.
Ms Ardern said "you could tell that he wasn't feeling well and he said he wasn't feeling well".
"So I think you could see that on the stage ... which I think is just a credit to his commitment to his fans."
Sir Elton had just returned to New Zealand after performing at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
He won an Oscar for best original song for his theme song for the movie Rocketman.
Australian Associated Press
