International superstar Adele said a tearful goodbye to her Las Vegas residency in November, ending her 100th show and a two-year run at Caesar’s Palace. There are no official reported figures, but with weekend performances at a sold-out venue and earnings rumoured to be US$2m per show, ‘Weekends with Adele’ will be among the highest-grossing Las Vegas residencies of all time.

A prolonged run of concerts at the internationally renowned resort city in the state of Nevada offers a highly lucrative role for top-performing artists, generating hundreds of millions of dollars.

Celine Dion earned more than US$680m during her 16-year run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, with more than 4.5 million people taking in some 1,141 shows. U2 grossed US$244.5m over a 40-show run at Sphere, selling more than 663,000 tickets.

Residencies have transformed the business model for artists looking to perform long-running shows

Residencies allow artists to put on elaborate productions that would be impossible in a tour, with custom-built stages and special effects. Carrie Underwood’s show incorporated a massive six-metre waterfall, while Katy Perry included a giant face mask and bathtub.

All-out creativity

Artists typically go all out with creative costume changes during these residencies. Christina Aguilera had nine showstopping looks ranging from a rosette cape to a towering gown. Lady Gaga upped the glitz and glamour in her jazz-inspired wardrobe.

Residencies in Las Vegas have fundamentally transformed the business model for artists looking to perform long-running shows that boast dynamic productions in intimate theatre settings.

 

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