Las Vegas can often be described as the “Entertainment Capital of the World”.
Indeed, while most will often read about the iconic location on news sites like New Zealand Daily for its casinos and Strip, or perhaps even the recent F1 Grand Prix race which saw Max Verstappen be crowned the World Champion once again, there is so much more that goes on in Sin City.
The city in the middle of the Nevada desert is an incredible location, with plenty of entertainment on offer wherever you look. It’s possible to attend a variety of different shows, with circus acts, magic shows and comedy shows often taking place.
However, there is one type of show that you’ll often find taking place often: concerts.
Las Vegas: The home of residencies
Las Vegas may become just as synonymous with musical residences as much as it has with gambling for some. There have been many different headline performers across various genres of music to have all had many shows take place in the various venues across the Strip over the years.
We’ve had everyone from icons like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra to modern-day chart-toppers like Adele and Lady Gaga, as well as a mixture of icons performing today after making it big in decades gone by, such as Celine Dion and Shania Twain.
But which residencies have been the best?
Ranking the best Las Vegas residences
Of course, trying to rank the best Las Vegas residences to have ever happened is a tough ask. As mentioned, there have been several to have been held, with many of the world’s biggest artists of their time having all had shows at some point.
In addition, residencies aren’t reserved for a particular type of genre, either. There have been rockers like Aerosmith who have had a residence, while there have been pop stars like Katy Perry who have managed to perform several shows at one venue over a sustained period.
Perhaps the best way to try and rank them is by the amount of revenue that has been generated. Indeed, this would give us a good idea of how successful they were, which could be loosely translated into them being considered among the best to take place.
The top five residencies based on revenue are:
- Celine Dion – A New Day…: Playing 717 shows between 2003 and 2007, she is estimated to have generated $385 million after more than three million watched her and her initial stint was extended by two years.
- Celine Dion – Celine: She returned for another extended residency between 2011 and 2019, playing 427 shows and is thought to have grossed $296 million in revenue for The Colosseum at Caesars Palace over the eight-year run.
- U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere: Celebrating their 30th anniversary of the 1991 album, Achtung Baby, U2 would play 40 shows and generate $244.5 million at an average of $6.1 million per show.
- Elton John – The Red Piano: Held between 2004 and 2009, Elton John’s initial run of 75 shows was extended to 247 over a period that had doubled from its original schedule. Over the six years he had the residency, he generated $169 million.
- Britney Spears – Piece of Me: Britney is a global superstar that many have wanted to see perform, and her residency had to be extended before she even did her first show due to the demand. Doing dates between 2013 and 2017, where she performed 146 times, she generated $137.7 million for The Axis in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
