City of Hope Gala Delivers an Elton John Set, Surprise Cameo by Celine Dion

Two legends turned up at City of Hope’s Spirit of Life gala on Tuesday night.

It came as no surprise when Elton John took his place at center stage inside the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles as the piano man was previously announced as one of the night’s headliners weeks before the event took place. He still wowed the crowd by closing the packed program with a rousing set that included his hits “Your Song,” a rendition of “Tiny Dancer” and an extended performance of “Rocket Man” that rocketed the capacity crowd out of their seats by the time it was over.

However, when it came time to present the night’s highest honor to AEG Presents chairman and CEO Jay Marciano, a big reveal came in the form of superstar Celine Dion. Organizers managed to keep her appearance under wraps until her name was called and she made her way to the podium to present to Marciano.

“I know that your career has been marked by great accomplishments and has survived its share of great challenges, but it has been marked, above all, by a consistent expression of empathy. In your leadership roles, you have shown such a generosity of spirit, a kindness and understanding of humanity that your legacy seems to be writing itself,” said Dion in her second surprise showing of 2024 after turning up to February’s Grammy Awards to present the night’s final trophy.

For his part, John also had some praise for the veteran live entertainment executive, praising Marciano for shepherding a 2004 residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and more recently for coordinating his record-breaking farewell tour. “We went out in the sunshine,” John noted of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. “I didn’t want to go out in the twilight.”

In accepting, Marciano said, “The live entertainment industry has a unique ability to create powerful moments that inspire change. Tonight’s success is a testament to the incredible impact our industry can have when we unite for a common cause. I am deeply honored to receive the Spirit of Life Award, and I am grateful for the opportunity to support City of Hope’s goal to end cancer.”

Other highlights of the night included magic by master illusionist David Blaine, an epic drone show during the event’s cocktail hour and master of ceremonies Fred Armisen who hosted the whole affair. In addition to shocking the audience with his tricks, Blaine also tugged at their heartstrings by revealing that his mother was diagnosed with cancer when he was just 16 years old, and she passed four years later. He relayed the story while standing next to a supersized set of his initials that he had set on fire, explaining the connection to the event as this: “City of Hope is about putting out fires.”

See more views from inside the event below.