The Las Vegas Strip has seen a huge turnover when it comes to entertainment with many long-time shows closing down, and some attempts to replace them never getting off the ground. Sin City has become a much harder place to sell tickets because headliners must compete with huge names, the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders and the NHL's Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Aside from Carrot Top at MGM Resorts International's Luxor, Donnie Osmond and Wayne Newton at Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) Harrah's and Flamingo, respectively, many of the old-school shows have gone away. The Las Vegas Strip has seen the end of long-running shows, including "Legends in Concert," and "Jersey Boys," which has found an off-Strip home.
Related: Las Vegas Strip losing another landmark property
In addition, the Las Vegas Strip has been the end the classic showgirls show. No actual showgirls exist anywhere in Las Vegas although women still dress in the classic costumes to pose for pictures on the Strip.
Even big-name residencies seem to have expiration dates. While select performers, including Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga with MGM and Adele with Caesars seem to have an everlasting residency in the style of Wayne Newton or other Las Vegas Strip legends, most shows play for a few months, maybe even a few years, and then the performer moves on.
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Las Vegas has become a home for country music
Las Vegas has become a city that embraces all musical genres. It's arguably the biggest market in the U.S. for electronic dance music (EDM), big-name DJs, and club music that's performed during the day.
Garth Brooks has a long-running Caesars residency, while Blake Shelton recently opened Ole Red, a country bar at Caesars Horseshoe, which gives smaller-name touring acts a place to play. In addition, Carrie Underwood headlines at Resorts World Las Vegas while Shania Twain will soon open a residency at the same Planet Hollywood venue that has hosted Miranda Lambert since 2022.
That show, which has been a huge hit for the Caesars venue gave the most-streamed female performer of 2022 a home on the Strip.
"Designed exclusively for Bakkt Theater and promoted by Live Nation and Caesars Entertainment, 'Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency' gives fans an up close and personal opportunity to experience live performances of Lambert’s numerous chart-topping songs and beloved album cuts," Caesars shared in a press release.
In addition, Lambert, Live Nation Las Vegas, and Caesars Entertainment are donating $1 of every ticket purchased to “Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency” at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino to Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation, a nonprofit that has raised over $6 million since its inception in 2009.
Miranda Lambert leaving the Las Vegas Strip
Lambert will play her final show as part of her Las Vegas Residency at Planet Hollywoods' Bakkt Theater on April 6. The singer touted not having to bring the show on the road as a chief reason she wanted to undertake a Las Vegas residency.
“As someone who’s lived on a bus and toured from city-to-city for more than half my life, having a Vegas residency has been such a fun change of pace creatively,” shared Lambert. "The band and I are excited to keep this party going!”
Caesars Entertainment has not shared who will replace Lambert at Planet Hollywood. The Las Vegas Strip actually has a number of open residency spots Resorts World Las Vegas, for example, recently saw both Katy Perry and Luke Bryan close their popular shows.
Resorts World welcomes Shania Twain's residency in May, which essentially replaces either Bryan or Perry's shows, but it's filling many of its nights with one-off performances by bands ranging from punk icons Sum 41 to Mexican superstar Panter Bélico. The North Strip resort casino will also offer a short residency with the legendary rock band Scorpions.
In addition to its classic venues the Las Vegas Strip also recently added The Sphere, a massive venue that was headlines for its first few months by U2. That first-of-its-kind venue, which seats roughly 18,600 people, opens up Las Vegas to larger acts, including Dead & Company, which will play a summer residency beginning in May.
