Sir Elton John Performed as a Surprise Guest at Saks' Holiday Window Unveiling

Elton John performs at Saks Fifth Avenue window unveiling and light show

(Image credit: Getty)

published 23 November 2022

On Tuesday, November 22, Saks Fifth Avenue hosted a star-studded unveiling ceremony for its annual holiday window display. The annual event featured music, a light show, fireworks, and live music from none other than Sir Elton John.

The legendary musician's surprise appearance was marked by a moving performance of his classic hit, "Your Song" (you can watch it at Saks Live). John also brought his family onstage—husband David Furnish and their children, Zachary and Elijah—to wish the crowd a happy holiday season.

David Furnish and Sir Elton John at the opening ceremony for Saks Fifth Avenue's Holiday Windows and Light show on November 22, 2022 in New York City.

Moments before the "Rocket Man" singer made his appearance, Saks CEO Marc Metrick announced that Saks would be donating $1 million to the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Rocket Fund. This charitable organization works with government and nonprofit organizations across the globe to support HIV/AIDs prevention and treatment, along with rights, healthcare, and dignity for those diagnosed with the virus. Of Saks' financial contribution, $500,000 of the donation (which stands regardless of consumer sales) will come from Saks' merchandise collection curated with the help of Sir Elton John and featuring apparel, accessories, home goods, and beauty products by over 60 designers.

Metrick's announcement and John's performance were followed by an extravagant light show highlighting Saks' window displays. This year, the show featured Elton John tracks, including “Step into Christmas,” “Cold Heart PNAU Remix,” “Your Song,” and “Merry Christmas.” The window displays themselves, meanwhile, center on nostalgic childhood games such as rocket ships and kaleidoscopes.

If you're in New York City over the next month, you can catch the Saks window display until January 3.

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Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times, HuffPost Personal, Bustle, Alma, Muskrat Magazine, O'Bheal, and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland, University College Cork, and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com. Before working with Marie Claire, Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.

Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art

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