Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

What Celine Dion’s Colosseum conclusion means for Las Vegas entertainment

Celine Dion

Al Powers / Powers Imagery / Invision / AP

Celine the queen: Dion started the modern Vegas residency boom in 2003 at the Colosseum.

Celine Dion launched a new era of live entertainment on the Las Vegas Strip when her first residency “A New Day” made its debut on March 25, 2003 at the brand-new Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Since then, she’s performed there 1,089 times (including 372 shows during her second and current residency, “Celine,” launched in 2011) while changing the perception of the traditional Vegas headliner. She played the biggest theater built for a recurring show from a single superstar on the Strip and paved the way for similar productions from Elton John, Cher, Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears, and in more recent years, Jennifer Lopez, Bruno Mars, Ricky Martin and Gwen Stefani.

“Celine is ingrained within the legacy of Caesars Palace and it has been a tremendous honor to be a permanent home to one of the most legendary music icons for over 15 years,” said Caesars Entertainment President and CEO Mark Frissora.

While not completely surprising, last month’s announcement that Dion will perform her final show at the Colosseum in June is a big deal for the Strip, where these resident headliner shows have become the hottest ticket in town (with the possible exception of a Vegas Golden Knights hockey game at T-Mobile Arena). With other big names signing on for new residencies — including Lady Gaga, who opens at Park Theater in December — Dion’s finale doesn’t necessarily signal the end of an era, but more of another milestone in an ongoing entertainment evolution.

At the Colosseum, John wrapped his highly successful second residency show in May, although he’ll be back in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena in September 2019 for his farewell tour. Once Dion, who’s back onstage October 30 to November 17, is finished next summer, the Colosseum’s resident roster will include only Stewart, Reba McEntire with Brooks & Dunn, and Carey, who recently began her second turn at the venue.

Click to enlarge photo

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez celebrate J.Lo's final show at Planet Hollywood at MR CHOW at Caesars Palace.

Carey’s new show “The Butterfly Returns” is the first ongoing Live Nation production at the Colosseum, which is operated and largely booked by AEG. Live Nation produces the residency shows at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater, including Stefani, the Backstreet Boys and Lionel Richie, as well as residencies at Park Theater and the Blink-182 and Billy Idol shows at the Palms’ Pearl theater. It’s possible that a future headliner show from a new artist at the Colosseum could also come from Live Nation, the massive live entertainment company that has helped shift the Vegas focus away from legacy acts.

Planet Hollywood’s big resident room has some spaces to fill as well. Lopez played her finale on September 29 and Richie resumes his “All The Hits” show this week with his final performance at Zappos Theater set for October 20. The Backstreet Boys will wrap up their production in April. Stefani’s “Just A Girl” opened in June and hot country duo Florida Georgia Line plays a five-show series in December that could be a sort of trial run, but overall there’s plenty of nights to be booked at the House That Britney Built.

Speaking of Spears, an announcement for her new Las Vegas residency show at Park Theater is expected any time. After Dion got the ball rolling in 2003, Spears added plenty of momentum with her record-breaking four-year run at Planet Hollywood from 2013-2017. Multiple reports have Spears joining Gaga at Park MGM next year, where Mars and Martin have apparently finished their runs and Cher returns October 31 through November 17. Aerosmith will perform 18 shows at Park Theater in April, June and July, which might qualify as a mini-residency, but the newest “big” venue on the Strip has found a different formula for success with a mix of one-off touring concerts, short runs from the likes of Stevie Wonder and Queen + Adam Lambert, and recurring resident productions.

The mini-residency is also thriving in Las Vegas, similarly featuring various star acts like Diana Ross, John Fogerty, Boyz II Men, Santana and Earth, Wind and Fire performing in intimate theaters like those at Wynn, the Mirage, Mandalay Bay and Venetian. Expect to see that size and caliber of show proliferate, especially it’s hard to find icons like Celine Dion who can fill those bigger theaters dozens of times a year.