Elton John, Gaga give surprise concert day before Oscars

Lady Gaga joins Elton John on stage at his surprise concert on the Sunset Strip on Saturday afternoon (February 27) in West Hollywood, Calif.

The show, performed on Los Angeles’ famed Sunset Strip, begins at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. According to Elton John, his AIDS Foundation hopes to raise over $6 million with this year’s annual Oscar party on Sunday (Feb. 28).

The surprise concert, presented by AOL Build and BBVA Compass and streamed live on AOL.com, was announced only Friday evening, with Lady Gaga’s brief appearance kept a secret until she tweeted the news Saturday morning. “Get your asses to Sunset Blvd Tower Records!” “Here we are, 46 years later”, he said, dedicating the song to his longtime manager.

According to the press release, the concert will be 60 minutes long and consist of both his classic hits and selections from his most recent album, Wonderful Crazy Night.

After Wonderful Crazy Night, John acknowledged the crowd. They give us the West Hollywood Park for nothing and so we’re doing it to a: “say thank you to them, and b: “because it’s a cool thing to do”. The pair dueted on a lovely rendition of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me“.

Lady Gaga’s Till It Happens to You is nominated for best original song at The Oscars.