“Elton John is sorry that he was unable to perform his concert in Lisbon on the night of Wednesday, September 13, but is looking forward to performing the show for his Portuguese fans on November 3 – when it is expected that the show will be able to start at the scheduled time and take place in a smoke-free environment.”

Casino spokesman Nuno Lima de Carvalho said after the canceled show that Elton “said he was going out to get some air but then he jumped in to his car and went to the airport to catch his private jet.”

The crowd of around 1,200 included Portugese government ministers, bank presidents and executives from national newspapers who were apparently slow in taking their seats in the concert hall after dinner.

Carvalho added that the venue was considering taking legal action. “It was a tantrum, but this kind of behavior has consequences.” No word if the apparent rescheduling of the Lisbon date means all is forgiven.