Adele fans from around the world said it “did not feel real” to be back in Las Vegas for her previously cancelled show, but they were sure it would be “worth the wait”.
Despite the palpable excitement, others described having “butterflies” and did not want to build their expectations too high in case of a second disappointment.
Hundreds gathered outside The Colosseum venue at Caesars Palace hours before doors were due to open, forming a long line for an exclusive merchandise store.
The singer announced the last-minute postponement on Instagram earlier this year, telling fans in a tearful message that the show was “not ready”.
Among those queueing was Rafael Faci, a 23-year-old medical student from Brazil, who had been in Las Vegas in January when he learned of Adele’s postponement.
Mr Faci told the PA news agency that despite missing multiple exams to travel to the US again, he could “die happy” after seeing Adele.
“I’m pretty crazy about Adele,” he said.
“I don’t know how I’m going to react, I might cry…but I have no idea.”
He added: “This is my first time, that’s why I’m here. The last thing I have to do before I can die happy is see an Adele concert.”
Cousins Marcela de la Garza, 35, and Jesy Almaguer, 33, travelled from Mexico, also for the second time, to see the award-winning singer.
“We are happy that we are going to see her but we don’t believe it yet,” Ms de la Garza told PA.
“We don’t want to build up our expectations too much but we are happy. Right now I have butterflies.”
Alison Hutchings, 51, and her partner Rhyddian Piles, 47, from Neath, in south Wales, said they had been in Las Vegas for a family member’s 50th birthday and had called every day of the week to secure tickets.
“We feel amazing, we’re chuffed to bits,” Ms Hutchings told PA.
On Thursday night Adele shared an Instagram post online, in which she said she had “never been more nervous before a show in my career” but could not sit still with excitement.
“I’m feeling all sorts as I write this. I’m highly emotional, incredibly nervous but can’t sit still because I’m so excited,” she wrote, sharing a picture of herself in rehearsal.
“I feel a million miles away from home, I can’t stop thinking about when I was little and saw Tom Jones in Mars Attacks and thought blimey how did he get from Wales to Las Vegas!?”
She continued: “I always get scared before shows, and I take it as a good sign because it means I care and means I just want to do a good job.
“But it’s safe to say I’ve never been more nervous before a show in my career, but at the same time I wish today was tomorrow! I can’t wait to see you out there x.”
Fans waiting for the show described being “triggered” by another last minute post from the singer, before realising that her message had been a positive one.
Londoner Ross Taggart, 37, told PA: “It was awful.
“I woke up and I saw a long post and I thought ‘oh no she hasn’t done it again’ but then she went on to say how excited she was, so it was fine.”
Amy Jaron, from Los Angeles, California, added: “It was very triggering, I got PTSD.”
Ms Jaron said she had just crossed over the state line into Nevada from California when she received news of the cancellation earlier this year.
“It doesn’t feel real, it’s finally here and it feels like forever ago that we were here,” she told the PA news agency.
“We met so many people so it was a great thing to happen out of a sad thing that happened…we’re happy to be reunited.”
Ms Jaron, 23, said she had been one of the lucky fans to have Facetimed Adele in January, adding that the experience had been “life-changing”.
“You could tell she felt so bad but the true fans understood,” she told PA.
Adele’s run at Caesars Palace had originally been due to begin at the Colosseum on January 21 2022, running until April 16.
Adele later declared she had “the best fans in the world” and thanked them after receiving waves of support for her decision to postpone.
Her new run is scheduled to take place from November 18 and run to March 25, with the 24 rescheduled shows as well as eight extra dates.
