Tonight, Adele will kick off a huge, 10 night residency in Munich, playing to around 75,000 fans each night in what the star has called a “one off, bespoke pop-up stadium”. The run of shows will mark her first live performances in mainland Europe since 2016.
“Pretty much slap bang in the middle of Europe? In Munich? That’s a bit random, but still fabulous!” wrote Adele, announcing the residency. “Right after the Euros? Come on England! With the Olympics next door? Go on Simone!”
Her manager, Jonathan Dickins, told reporters in Munich to expect a slightly different setlist: though the big hits will be included, the aim is to create a show that feels more “cosy” and the ““total opposite” of the ongoing Las Vegas residency.
As reported by The Guardian, the specially-made venue for Adele’s residency has been designed by Eurovision Song Contest and America’s Got Talent set designer Florian Wieder, and its stage features a 93-metre catwalk and 200-metre semicircular half moon stage to get Adele up close to fans in the huge crowd.
She’ll be backed by an enormous, 220 x 30-metre screen which cost a reported £34m, and will help to block out background noise from a nearby motorway.
Though there is no rain protection for the crowd, the venue has been paved with asphalt in preparation for any heavy rainfall.
Earlier this week, though, the concert’s promoters confirmed that a planned dress rehearsal for August 1 was canceled due to safety concerns around the extreme weather and storms– but added that they hoped to reschedule it later in the day.
The residency is currently slated to start tonight (August 2) with no plans to delay. It continues throughout the entire month.
The star has also confirmed that once she’s wrapped up her Munich residency and Las Vegas shows, she plans on taking a break.
“My tank is quite empty at the minute," she said. “I don’t have any plans for new music at all. I want a big break after all this and I think I want to do other creative things just for a little while. You know, I don’t even sing at home at all. How strange is that?”
