European Express Tour

{{Infobox concert

| concert_tour_name = European Express Tour

| album = Breaking Hearts

| artist = Elton John

| type = Continental

| location = Europe

| start_date = 17 April 1984

| end_date = 30 June 1984

| number_of_legs = 1

| number_of_shows = 52

| last_tour = Too Low for Zero Tour
(1984)

| this_tour = European Express Tour
(1984)

| next_tour = Breaking Hearts Tour
(1984)

}}

The European Express Tour was the European leg of Elton John's 1984 Breaking Hearts Tour.

Background

The European Express Tour, which was a continuation of the Too Low for Zero Tour of Oceania took place across three months during the summer of 1984. The tour included several countries that Elton and his band had not previously performed in. This included Poland,{{cite news |last1=Furness |first1=Hannah |title=Elton John to be honoured for fight against Communism |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/communism/9377877/Elton-John-to-be-honoured-for-fight-against-Communism.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706071402/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/communism/9377877/Elton-John-to-be-honoured-for-fight-against-Communism.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 July 2012 |newspaper=The Telegraph | date=5 July 2012 | location=UK |access-date=19 August 2020}} Czechoslovakia,{{cite web |title=Western performers a rarity in Communist era |url=https://english.radio.cz/western-performers-a-rarity-communist-era-8630433 |website=english.radio.cz |date=23 June 2005 |publisher=Radio Prague International |access-date=19 August 2020}} Hungary, Yugoslavia, Italy, Austria and Spain.

The tour came to an end at London's Wembley Stadium on 30 June 1984. This concert was recorded for broadcast on the U.S. Showtime cable network and Britain's BBC Radio 1. The performance was later released on VHS as Night and Day Concert.{{cite web |title=Elton John Wembley Stadium Summer of 84 concert |url=https://vintagerock.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/elton-john-wembley-stadium-summer-of-84-concert/ |website=vintagepress.com |date=28 June 2013 |publisher=Vintage Press |access-date=19 August 2020}}

Set list

This set list is representative of the performance on 28 May 1984 in Paris, France. It does not represent the set list at all concerts for the duration of the tour.

"Tiny Dancer"
"Hercules"
"Rocket Man"
"Daniel"
"Restless"
"Candle in the Wind"
"The Bitch Is Back"
"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
"Sad Songs (Say So Much)"
"Bennie and the Jets"
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
"Philadelphia Freedom"
"Blue Eyes"
"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
"Kiss the Bride"
"One More Arrow"
"Too Low for Zero"
"I'm Still Standing"
"Your Song"
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
"Crocodile Rock"
;Encore
"Song for Guy" or "Medley: Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On / I Saw Her Standing There / Twist and Shout"

Tour dates

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" !width="175"\|Date !width="175"\|City !width="175"\|Country !width="275"\|Venue
colspan="4" style="background:#DFDFDF;"\|Europe
17 April 1984 \|Sarajevo \|rowspan="3"\|Yugoslavia \|Olimpijska Dvorana Zetra
18 April 1984 \|Belgrade \|Hala Pionir
19 April 1984 \|Zagreb \|Dom Sportova
21 April 1984 \|rowspan="2"\|Budapest \|rowspan="2"\|Hungary \|rowspan="2"\|Budapest Sportcsarnok
22 April 1984
24 April 1984 \|Prague \|rowspan="2"\|Czechoslovakia \|Palace of culture
25 April 1984 \|Ostrava \|Havířov Sport Hall
26 April 1984 \|Katowice \|rowspan="3"\|Poland \|Spodek
27 April 1984 \|Warsaw \|Sala Kongresowa
28 April 1984 \|Gdańsk \|Hala Olivia
30 April 1984 \|Stockholm \|Sweden \|Johanneshov Isstadion
2 May 1984 \|Drammen \|Norway \|Drammenshallen
4 May 1984 \|rowspan="2"\|Copenhagen \|rowspan="2"\|Denmark \|Valby-Hallen
5 May 1984 \|Brøndbyhallen
6 May 1984 \|Rotterdam \|Netherlands \|Ahoy Hall
7 May 1984 \|rowspan="2"\|Brussels \|rowspan="2"\|Belgium \|rowspan="2"\|Forest National
8 May 1984
11 May 1984 \|Cologne \|rowspan="9"\|West Germany \|Sporthalle
12 May 1984 \|rowspan="2"\|Essen \|rowspan="2"\|Grugahalle
13 May 1984
14 May 1984 \|Bremen \|Stadhalle Bremen
15 May 1984 \|Stuttgart \|Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
17 May 1984 \|Hanover \|Stadionsporthalle
18 May 1984 \|West Berlin \|Waldbühne
20 May 1984 \|Bad Segeberg \|Freilichtbühne
22 May 1984 \|Munich \|Olympiahalle
23 May 1984 \|Vienna \|Austria \|Wiener Stadthalle
25 May 1984 \|Geneva \|rowspan="3"\|Switzerland \|Patinoire des Vernets
26 May 1984 \|rowspan="2"\|Zürich \|rowspan="2"\|Hallenstadion
27 May 1984
28 May 1984 \|rowspan="3"\|Paris \|rowspan="4"\|France \|rowspan="3"\|Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
29 May 1984
30 May 1984
31 May 1984 \|Grenoble \|Palais des Sports
2 June 1984{{efn\|The 2 June 1984 concert in Ludwigshafen was part of SWF3 Festival.}} \|Ludwigshafen \|West Germany \|Südweststadion
4 June 1984 \|Orange \|rowspan="3"\|France \|Théatre Antique d'Orange
5 June 1984 \|Nice \|Palais des Congrès Acropolis
6 June 1984 \|Toulouse \|Palais des Sports de Toulouse
8 June 1984 \|Madrid \|rowspan="2"\|Spain \|Pabellón de Deportes
9 June 1984 \|Barcelona \|Palau dels Esports de Barcelona
11 June 1984 \|rowspan="2"\|Milan \|rowspan="2"\|Italy \|rowspan="2"\|Teatro Tenda di Lampugnano
12 June 1984
15 June 1984 \|Belfast \|Northern Ireland \|King's Hall
16 June 1984 \|Dublin \|Ireland \|RDS Arena
18 June 1984 \|rowspan="2"\|Leeds \|rowspan="2"\|England \|rowspan="2"\|Queen's Hall
19 June 1984
20 June 1984 \|rowspan="2"\|Edinburgh \|rowspan="2"\|Scotland \|rowspan="2"\|Edinburgh Playhouse
21 June 1984
23 June 1984 \|rowspan="3"\|Birmingham \|rowspan="4"\|England \|rowspan="3"\|National Exhibition Centre Arena
24 June 1984
25 June 1984
30 June 1984{{efn\|The 30 June 1984 concert in London was part of the Summer of 84 Concert.}} \|London \|Wembley Stadium

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

!width="175"|Date

!width="175"|City

!width="175"|Country

!width="275"|Venue

colspan="4" style="background:#DFDFDF;"|Europe

17 April 1984

|Sarajevo

|rowspan="3"|Yugoslavia

|Olimpijska Dvorana Zetra

18 April 1984

|Belgrade