Vegas Residencies

16 Dec 2024

Sphere Dominates Year-End Venues Ranking With Record-Setting $400M Gross

Sphere rules Billboard’s Top Venues (15,001+ capacity) chart for 2024, with a monstrous gross of $420.5 million from 1.3 million tickets sold. Not only does that secure the top spot among venues in its capacity range, but it’s also the highest gross for any venue of any size this year. Beyond the scope of the year-end charts, it’s the biggest annual gross for any venue in Boxscore history.

Sphere is the first venue to register a year-end gross of more than $300 million and $400 million. Only four artists ever grossed more than Sphere’s total in one year-end period: The Rolling Stones in 2006, Ed Sheeran in 2018, Beyonce in 2023, and, based on overall finals for The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift in 2023 and 2024.

The Las Vegas room attracts residency acts just like The Colosseum at Caesars Palace or Dolby Live, pushing high ticket prices for stadium artists in a more intimate setting. But unlike those theaters’ four-digit capacity, which ultimately keeps total grosses within the stratosphere, Sphere is a full-sized arena, selling 15,000-17,000 tickets per show. With a floor-to-ceiling wrapround LED screen, 4D physical effects and immersive audio, it’s a high-ticket attraction for once-in-a-career productions.

U2 launched Sphere’s calendar in September 2023, kicking off with a 17-show run that brought in $109.8 million from 281,000 tickets sold. Two more legs followed on U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, ultimately closing in March with $244.5 million and 663,000 tickets. That makes it the fourth highest-grossing residency in Boxscore history, despite running for just six months with 40 shows. Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden tenure, above it at No. 3 on the all-time tally, played for 10 years with 104 shows.

Phish followed with a long weekend of shows from April 18-21, bringing in $13.4 million and selling 66,700 tickets.

Dead & Company was next, with a seasonal residency, playing 30 shows between May 16 and Aug. 10. Ultimately, it earned a spot in the top 10 of the all-time residency list, with $131.8 million and 477,000 tickets. That’s a bigger gross than any of Dead & Co.’s annual tours, dating back to its 2015 inception.

Sphere’s current residents are the Eagles, in the middle of an ongoing stint that is scheduled well into 2025. The band’s first eight shows scored $42.2 million and sold 131,000 tickets.

The Top Venues chart is not the only place where Sphere shines on Billboard’s year-end report. U2 lands at No. 7 on the Top Tours list, exclusively from its Vegas shows. Bono’s boys are joined by Dead & Company on Top Rock Tours, with both acts in the top 10 — U2 at No. 4 and Dead & Company at No. 8. On Top Boxscores, which measures individual shows, or a run of shows at the same venue, U2 blocks out the top three with its Sphere legs.

In all, including shows by U2 and the Eagles that fit into the 2023 and 2025 Boxscore tracking periods, and an additional non-music event, Sphere’s 83 reported shows have brought in $452.3 million and played to 1.4 million fans.

05 Apr 2024

25 Biggest Concert Residencies of All Time

Each year, an uncountable number of recording artists transform their discographies into live shows, going on tour to super-serve their biggest fans around the world. But a select few have the power to bring their fans to them, staging extravagant productions in one city as the masses travel to see a once-in-a-career performance. Here, we’re looking at the biggest residencies in Boxscore history.

Most often, these residencies occur at theaters in Las Vegas. Among the most popular international tourist destinations, Sin City has become a second home for many of the biggest acts in music.

Some ground rules: as with all Boxscore charts, this list only includes shows that were reported to Billboard Boxscore. The threshold for inclusion on this list is a minimum of 10 shows at a single venue. Some productions, especially those by MGM, will have a home base at a Vegas theater but travel to a handful of other venues, like The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. – only the home-venue shows will count toward residency totals.

Further, this list only includes residencies that have their own unique names and productions and setlists – no mini-residencies within a tour. That means that Harry Styles’ 15-show runs at Madison Square Garden and the Kia Forum are excluded, as they were part of Love On Tour. Same goes for the theater stints that made up Madonna’s Madame X Tour in 2019-20.

However, residencies that are broken up by tours do count. That means that Bruno Mars’ Park MGM residency – interrupted by the 24K Magic World Tour – is eligible, as is Carrie Underwood’s ongoing Reflection.

Scroll below for the 25 highest-grossing concert residencies of all time, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

05 Jan 2024

Kelly Clarkson Jokes About Wearing ‘Tight Sh-t’ Amid Weight Loss Journey

Kelly Clarkson is breaking down her weight loss journey piece by piece.

During her Chemistry: An Intimate Evening with Kelly Clarkson Las Vegas residency, the “Breakaway” singer poked fun at her wardrobe evolution amid her recent body transformation. In a Jan. 2 TikTok, an audience member asks Clarkson to take a shot with them, prompting the Grammy winner to explain why that might be a bit difficult.

“Oh, boy. I really can’t bend in these,” Clarkson quipped, stretching over the gap between the stage and the audience to grab a single-shot bottle of what the fan confirmed as vodka in a semi-sheer black curve-hugging jumpsuit. “Dude, this is tight. Like, I lost weight and they’re like, ‘Let’s get you into this tight s–t.’”

Clarkson eventually did take the shot, quoting the iconic “I’m a cool mom” Mean Girls quote once the fan confirmed that the shot was in celebration of their 22nd birthday. After initially saying the alcohol smelt like “electric glue,” Clarkson eventually conceded, “Well, that tastes pretty good!”

The “Since U Been Gone” singer recently opened up about her weight loss journey in a Jan. 3 interview with People. “Walking in the city is quite the workout, and I’m really into infrared saunas right now. I just got a cold plunge because everybody wore me down,” she revealed. “I eat a healthy mix. I dropped weight because I’ve been listening to my doctor — a couple years I didn’t. And 90 percent of the time I’m really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway. I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat — sorry, vegetarians in the world!”

Next month (Feb. 4), Clarkson is headed to the Grammys with a best pop vocal album nomination for Chemistry — her tenth studio album and ninth Billboard 200 top 10 entry. On the Billboard Hot 100, the powerhouse vocalist has collected 11 top 10 hits, including the chart-toppers “Stronger” (three weeks), “My Life Would Suck Without You” (two weeks) and “A Moment Like This” (two weeks).

Watch Kelly Clarkson joke about her weight loss and take a shot with a fan below.

06 Nov 2023

Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom’s Daughter Daisy Dove Makes Public Debut at Vegas Residency Finale

Sure, Prince Harry and Céline Dion both showed up to the final performance of Katy Perry‘s Play Las Vegas residency, but the most adorable high-profile appearance had to be from Perry and Orlando Bloom‘s daughter Daisy Dove.

The 3-year-old made her public debut at her mom’s grand finale — and got to hear how she inspired the multimillion-dollar-grossing show — on Sunday night. Fan-captured footage from the elaborate performance shows the “Roar” singer shouting out her baby girl. “Daisy! I love you so much,” Perry exclaimed. “You’re my best friend. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Daisy — who sported a precious red-and-white polka-dot dress and sat alongside her father — was born three years ago, just two days before the release of Perry’s fifth album Smile. The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and housed the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit “Never Really Over.”

The “Witness” singer’s set featured a plethora of heartwarming moments for her family. During a spirited rendition of “Hot N Cold,” Perry quipped, “Mommy was a little bit wild back then!” The lighthearted vibes continued as Bloom and his daughter showed off their moves as Perry performed “Chained to the Rhythm.”

In accordance with this being the final Play show, Perry delivered an emotional speech detailing the show’s inspiration. “I created this show after the birth of my daughter, Daisy Dove,” she said while fighting tears. “When I met her, it was like all the love I was ever searching for finally showed up. She made me whole and she healed me, and she showed me how to play again. So this show is for everyone’s inner-child and for the hope that maybe if we could all see life through the eyes of a child, we would be free. ‘Cause never forget love is and will always be the key.”

Perry has sent three albums to the top of the Billboard 200 and earned nine chart-toppers on the Hot 100, including “Teenage Dream,” “Dark Horse” (with Juicy J) and “Firework.”

Check out some fan-captured footage of the final Play show:

07 Aug 2023

Usher Addresses Keke Palmer Vegas Controversy: ‘It Was a Pop Moment’

The slow dance between Usher and Keke Palmer set the world on fire last month, and now the Grammy-winning R&B icon is finally revealing his thoughts on the whole ordeal.

“Every night I’m thinking about how the world now is going to react to this moment that I’ll have with whoever I’m choosing to sing to,” Usher told People. “But it was a pop moment, and it was fun to have at least conversation going, and we just keep it light. I don’t see anything negative happening in Las Vegas.”

Last month, the two entertainers made headlines when Palmer attended Usher’s show in a sheer dress with a bodysuit underneath. Usher serenaded the Emmy-winning actress while singing his hit “There Goes My Baby,” as the two shared a cheeky-but-respectful dance. Once footage of the moment hit social media, Darius Jackson — Palmer’s boyfriend and the father of her child — publicly denigrated her choice of outfit, tweeting, “It’s the outfit tho… you a mom.”

In a follow-up tweet, Jackson elaborated, “We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn’t want the wife & mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others & he gets told how much of a hater he is. This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case.” For her part, Palmer never publicly responded to Jackson’s comments and instead continued to post more pictures of herself and her outfit from that night.

“I think everybody’s vision or a version of what they felt happened there just leads you back to just really having a good time in Las Vegas,” Usher said. “And that’s what I hope came out of it. Rather, it was a conversation of what was going on with us having fun in front of the audience or conversation about that song.”

The “Burn” singer has since embraced a nickname granted to him by the Internet: the “Domestic Terrorist.” “The internet is crazy. You can’t beat the internet,” he joked.

26 Mar 2023

5 Best Moments From Maroon 5’s Hits-Packed Las Vegas Residency

With two decades of steady pop radio hits under their belts, Maroon 5 are a perfect fit for a Las Vegas residency, breezing through a tight 20-song setlist during night 2 of their Dolby Live at Park MGM opening weekend on Saturday (March 25).

Adam Levine drives the energy of the hour-and-a-half show — never staying in one place for too long as he constantly moves across the stage and darts closer to the crowd on an X-shaped catwalk, wearing a series of tattoo-bearing outfits (or just no shirt at all). But it’s truly a full-band showcase, with spotlights on founding guitarist James Valentine’s shredding solos, a jamming song led by keyboardist PJ Morton, and a trio of brass players adding vibrant horns throughout.

Even if you don’t know Maroon 5’s catalog front and back, the most casual pop fan will recognize the Billboard Hot 100 mainstays that make up the setlist, including a host of collaborations that Levine takes on solo, whether he’s singing the Christina Aguilera verse on “Moves Like Jagger,” pulling double-duty on the SZA duet “What Lovers Do,” or performing rap-free versions of songs with Wiz Khalifa (“Payphone”) or Gym Class Heroes (“Stereo Hearts”). The one rapper we did hear on Saturday night was Cardi B, whose intro to the seven-week Hot 100 No. 1 “Girls Like You” was broadcast ahead of the second track of a three-song encore.

What else can you expect from Maroon 5’s new M5LV residency? Below, find Billboard’s five favorite moments from opening weekend.