Elton's cancelled tour to trigger up to £10m insurance payout
Elton John's cancelled tour could trigger an insurance payout of up to £10m (€11.5m).
The 'Rocket Man' hitmaker was advised to call off a number of summer shows after he was struck down with crippling appendicitis, but now insurers will be forced to fork out the hefty sum to promoters across Europe to cover ticket refunds.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, a source said: "Artists have insurance for the promoters' liability. Elton is insured so they get their money back or they can have another concert."
The 66-year-old singer has rescheduled some dates but others were part of festivals so the ticket money must be refunded.
The source added: "It has all been taken care of and will be rescheduled. No promoter will be out of pocket.
"Elton even spoke to some of the festival promoters to apologise because he has been working with them for so long."
The musician was due to headline the Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park festival in London on Friday but had to pull out.
Although the concert is still going ahead, with Ray Davies now headlining, promoters AEG Live gave all ticket holders a refund and made a number of free tickets for the show available.
Elton is currently undergoing a course of intensive antibiotics and is expected to undergo surgery in the UK in the coming weeks.
The source explained: "He is at home and no one knows yet when he can have the operation. He has to just sit and wait. After the op, it is a case of resting up for a while and then he will get back on stage.
The star - who has two-year-old son, Zachary, and seven-month-old son, Elijah, with his husband David Furnish - has played 170 gigs in the past year and hopes to be back for his iTunes Festival and Bestival shows in September.
