Sir Elton John has announced he is retiring from the road after his upcoming three-year global tour, capping nearly 50 years on stages around the world.

The 70-year-old singer and composer said on Wednesday that he wanted to spend more time with his family, adding that his and husband David Furnish's two sons, Elijah and Zachary, had changed their lives.

His children will be 10 and eight-years-old when he finally stops.

He will kick off his mammoth 300-date Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in the US in September before arriving in the UK and Europe in April 2019.

But his tour is due to bring him to Australia and New Zealand in late 2019 and early 2020 and feature dates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Making the announcement at an event in New York, he said: "My priorities have changed. We had children and that changed our lives and in 2015 we sat down with a school schedule and I thought I don't want to miss too much of this.

"My life has changed and my priority now is my family."

Asked if it was a difficult decision, Sir Elton said: "It wasn't a hard struggle because I love my kids so much and they really have taken over my life and are the most important thing.

"Three years' time is a long time, I've been in the back of a van since I was 16 and I travel so much.

"I can't physically do the travelling ... I don't want to do the travelling I want to be at home. I've had an incredible life but life is all about change.

"They (the children) need me, they need David and I want to be there.

"You can FaceTime all you want but it's not the same as being with them."

Sir Elton added that his final tour was a chance "to say thank you to all my fans around he world and then to say goodbye." But he added: "It doesn't mean I'm not going to be creative any more.

"It will take three years probably. I've been working constantly, I've been on the road ever since I made it in 1970. I have had a good run ... I want to go out with a bang."

He rejected claims his decision down to health problems he had experienced in recent years. Last year, Sir Elton was forced to cancel a series of shows when he contracted a bacterial infection.

The singer became "violently ill" during a flight home from Santiago, Chile and was admitted to hospital where he spent two nights in intensive care.

Following his return to home, he had to cancel the May and April dates in his Las Vegas residency.

At this year's Grammys on Sunday, Sir Elton, who has won five Grammys, an Oscar and a Golden Globe for "The Lion King," a Tony Award for "Aida" and sold 300 million records, is to perform alongside Miley Cyrus before collectinh the President's Merit Award.