Las Vegas residencies come and go. Popular musical performances from musicians like Cher, Elton John, Celine Dion, Aerosmith, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Britney Spears, and many others have sparkled on Las Vegas stages—but residencies aren’t forever.
Recently, there have been a number of Las Vegas residences that have closed. From Katy Perry to Rod Stewart, these shows have now played their final performances.
Long-Running Residencies
There are many popular and long-running residencies that have been performing in Las Vegas for many years. For example, Wayne Newton, nicknamed “Mr. Las Vegas,” performs at Flamingo’s Bugsy’s Cabaret.
1970’s teen idol Donny Osmond performs his greatest hits at Harrah’s Showroom. 1970’s superstar Barry Manilow sings at Westgate Las Vegas. None of these acts have indicated that they will end their residencies soon, but they will one day. Recently, several residencies in Las Vegas have closed.
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert, a Country singer-songwriter, opened a residency at Planet Hollywood’s Bakkt Theater in September of 2022.
The show was titled Velvet Rodeo. The final show was performed on April 6th.
Luke Bryan
Country musician Luke Bryan’s residency, Luke Bryan VEGAS, was performed at Resorts World Las Vegas.
The first show was on February 11th, 2022. The last performance was on January 6th, 2024.
Katy Perry
Popstar Katy Perry recently had a Las Vegas residency, too. The first shows were announced in May of 2021, with performances beginning in December of that year.
The show, which included campy performances of her greatest hits, was titled Play. After 80 shows, the final performance was in November of 2023.
Jersey Boys Musical
The Broadway-famous smash-hit musical Jersey Boys has now had two Las Vegas Residencies. Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical which tells the story of the iconic 1960’s band Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
In 2008, the first Jersey Boys residency opened at the Palazzo Theatre at the Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip. The production moved to Paris Las Vegas in 2011 and closed in 2016.
Coming Back to Las Vegas… and Closing Again
The most recent Las Vegas production opened on January 26th of this year. It opened off the Strip at the Showroom at The Orleans Hotel & Casino. According to a statement made in January, the residency was supposed to last for three years.
Unfortunately, this recent residency was unable to generate profits. It closed much earlier than expected on July 7th.
Rod Stewart with “The Hits”
Rockstar Rod Stewart was a Las Vegas entertainment staple for over a decade. On August 7th, Stewart played his final performance of his show, The Hits, at Caesars Entertainment’s The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Beginning in 2011, Stewart played in an arena-sized venue where no seat was more than 145 feet from the stage. His 200th performance of the show was his last. During the show, he played his greatest hits, like “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” “Maggie May,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “The First Cut is the Deepest,” “Infatuation,” “You Wear It Well,” and “Every Picture Tells a Story.”
Stewart’s Legacy
Rod Stewart is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, both as a solo artist and with the Faces. Stewart has won three Grammy Awards. In 2016, he was knighted by Prince William at Buckingham Palace. He has sold over 250 million records worldwide.
Stewart extended his residency for the last time last November. Jason Gastwirth, president of entertainment for Caesars Entertainment praised Stewart by saying, “Sir Rod Stewart is a true rock legend, and we have had the great privilege of being his Las Vegas home at The Colosseum for more than a decade.”
Rod Stewart and Future Residencies
Gastwirth continued, “Throughout his residency, we’ve been amazed by Rod’s impeccable showmanship and superstar talent highlighting his timeless catalog of hits, and we are incredibly grateful for the countless memories he created for our guests.”
As residencies close, new opportunities for other artists open. If they haven’t done one yet, perhaps your favorite artist will soon open a residency. Only time will tell what new performances will come to Las Vegas!
