He came, he played, he crocodile rocked our socks off.

One of the world's greatest entertainers lit up Cazaly's stadium on Saturday night, and 25,000 Cairns fans didn't want it to end.

Elton John performed a stellar set of his greatest hits, along with a few new tunes, to a rapturous and appreciative crowd.

About midway through the show and with the spirited encouragement of Elton himself, hundreds of music lovers abandoned their ticketed seats and danced their way up the aisles towards the stage.

At one point a devoted female fan gatecrashed her way on to the stage, much to the horror of security but the delight of Elton himself, who welcomed her over to his piano and planted a kiss on her cheek. 

The music icon let his songs do most of the talking, with short bursts of chatter every three or four songs.

And what songs they were: "Benny and the Jet", "I'm Still Standing", "Rocket Man", "Tiny Dancer", "Yellow Brick Road", "Your Song" and more. He finished the concert with his heartfelt classic "Candle In The Wind".

Judging by the smiles and sense of jubilation as the crowd filtered out of Cazaly's, the tagline used to promote Elton's concert proved remarkably accurate: this was a "concert of a lifetime" no-one in the audience will forget they were part of.