Las Vegas used to be where has-beens went to trade off their nostalgia. It was a city full of showrooms featuring acts a bit past their prime, selling something familiar and comfortable.
That still exists as Donny Osmond has an extended residency at Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) -) Harrah's Resort Casino, and Wayne Newton, Barry Manilow, and a few other classic Vegas acts have successful shows. It's not the norm, however, as many of the biggest names in music have extended residencies in Las Vegas.
Adele, Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert, and Keith Urban, among others, appear at Caesars properties, MGM Resorts International (MGM) -) has Lady Gaga, Usher, Toby Keith, and Bruno Mars in its residency lineup. Both companies also host the top names in electronic dance music (EDM) and DJs at their night and dayclubs.
Las Vegas has also become a key stop for arena and stadium tours with both Taylor Swift and BTS playing multiple nights at Allegiant Stadium in recent years. Sin City now rivals Nashville for the title of "Music City" and that was cemented by U2 becoming the first resident act at Sphere Entertainment's cutting-edge Las Vegas Sphere.
The band, one of the biggest in the world, but also one of the hippest, giving a Vegas residency its blessing, essentially clears the way for any band to do it. Of course, few acts — even some really big ones — can fill a 17,000-seat theater night after night, so most Las Vegas residencies take place in smaller venues.
Two of the biggest names in music, however, have extended their residencies, including one who will play on some very special nights.
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Image source: Sphere Entertainment.
Kelly Clarkson headed back to Planet Hollywood
Kelly Clarkson has played a sporadic residency at Caesars Planet Hollywood for the past few years. She schedules shows around her talk show and her other commitments, which until recently included NBC's "The Voice."
Now, the singer will bring back her "Chemistry … An Intimate Performance” to Planet Hollywood's Bakkt Theater for a special run of shows. The dates will include a New Year's Eve show and a Super Bowl weekend show. The new dates are Dec. 30-31 and Feb. 9-10. Tickets go on sale 10 a.m.
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Clarkson offers an intimate show where she plays stripped-down versions of her hit songs backed by a band.
Lionel Richie extends Las Vegas Strip residency
Lionel Richie sort of spans the Las Vegas Strip ages. He's an older performer with classic hits, but he remains relevant to younger audiences due to his appearing on "American Idol."
The singer, who has hits dating back to the 1970s, has a long-standing residency at Wynn's Encore Theater. Richie's "King of Hearts" residency has added 17 dates between June 26 and Nov. 16, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Richie has sold out 39 shows since opening his Wynn Resorts (WYNN) -) residency in 2019. Before that, Richie headlined at the Planet Hollywood theater that currently hosts Clarkson.
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U2, which has been selling out shows at The Sphere, which holds 17,000 people for concerts, is expected to extend its residency. The new venue has not lined up a second act to perform although there has been speculation around The Eagles and Harry Styles, but neither has been confirmed.
Playing at the immersive Sphere requires creating a unique show for that venue, which limits its viability to only a few acts. To play the venue, a band or solo performer needs to be able to sell enough tickets across multiple nights to justify the expense of creating a show for the one-of-a-kind venue.
