Elton to stage free coliseum concert

Elton John will take the stage just outside the Coliseum in September, Rome officials said today.

The free concert will take place on the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the large boulevard that leads to the Coliseum and is lined with ancient Roman relics.

Last year, a concert there by Simon and Garfunkel drew hundreds of thousands of fans.

“It will be a great event … held in the most charming scenery in the world,” Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni told a news conference.

“I can’t wait to meet my fans in Rome for a unique musical happening,” John said in a video broadcast during the conference. “It is so exciting,” the singer said.

Officials said the concert, on September 3, is expected to last almost three hours.