Sir Elton John invites public to his famed Oscar bash

Watch: Elton John's annual Oscars party is going virtual this year

Sir Elton John is throwing open the doors of his famed Oscar party by inviting the public for the first time.

The Rocketman, 74, has been hosting the glitzy Academy Awards bash for years, and always attracts an A-list crowd.

But this year the star is holding a virtual event to mark Sunday's Oscars (25 April), and is offering people the chance to ‘attend’ for £14.99.

Sir Elton and his husband David Furnish announced the news in a hilarious video on social media, which showed them in their dressing gowns and slippers and clutching a vacuum cleaner.

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“Bored with lockdown?” asks Sir Elton, before he clicks his fingers and the pair are transformed into much more glamorous outfits.

They then announce that people can buy tickets to the bash, which will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and will see the singer joined on stage by Dua Lipa.

Proceeds will go to Sir Elton's AIDS Foundation.

The star said on his website: “This year, we are bringing our Oscar Party into people’s homes for the first time virtually for an unforgettable evening with David, myself, our dear friend Neil Patrick Harris and the incredible Dua Lipa plus many fabulous surprise names.

“Now more than ever, we need to ensure that one pandemic does not override another, and we cannot forget the 38 million people living with HIV globally who need our care, love and support so we hope everyone joins us for this special one of a kind Oscar Pre‐Party.”

The star later shared images on Instagram from the parties over the years, showing him with the likes of Lady Gaga and Sharon Osbourne.

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“We’ve got so many incredible names making an appearance this Sunday at our first-ever virtual #EJAFOscars, powered by @webex!” he wrote.

“Here’s a few throwbacks of us at our iconic live parties over the years.

“I’m so honoured everyone is able to join us to make this year's virtual affair extra special and I hope you can join us too.”

He also promised fans that the event would offer plenty of “glitz, glam and excitement”.