The City of Hope Gala features an Elton John set and a surprise cameo from Celine Dion

Two legends showed up at City of Hope's Spirit of Life gala Tuesday night.

It was no surprise when Elton John took center stage inside the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, as the pianist had previously been announced as one of the evening's headliners weeks before the event. He still wowed the crowd by closing out the packed schedule with a rousing set that included his hits “Your Song,” a version of “Tiny Dancer” and an extended performance of “Rocket Man” that sent the capacity crowd flying out of their seats. placed next to the audience. it was time for it to end.

However, when it came time to present the evening's highest honor to AEG Presents president 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 took to the podium to introduce herself to Marciano.

“I know your career has been characterized by great achievement and survived a number of great challenges, but it has been characterized above all by a consistent expression of empathy. In your leadership roles, you have demonstrated such generosity of spirit, kindness and understanding of humanity that your legacy seems to write itself,” Dion said in her second surprise performance of 2024 after appearing at the Grammy Awards in February to present the final trophy evening.

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

Agreeing, 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 come together for a common cause. I am deeply honored to receive the Spirit of Life Award and am grateful for the opportunity to support City of Hope's goal of ending cancer.”

Other highlights of the evening included the magic of master illusionist David Blaine, an epic drone show during the event's cocktail hour, and master of ceremonies Fred Armisen hosting the entire evening. As well as shocking audiences with his antics, Blaine also tugged at the heartstrings by revealing that his mother was diagnosed with cancer when he was just 16 and died four years later. He told the story while standing next to a huge set of his initials that he had set on fire, explaining the connection to the event this way: “City of Hope is about putting out fires.”

See more views from inside the event below.