Las Vegas music entertainment once centered on legacy acts performing greatest-hits sets in small casino theaters.

But these days, Las Vegas is on the schedule for nearly every touring artist. Some acts play for a single night, like the upcoming stops by Olivia Dean (tickets for her show at MGM in Las Vegas are still available) and Rosalia at the T-Mobile Arena.

Industry data show that Las Vegas has increasingly become a must-visit destination for major touring artists, rather than a novelty spot, with venues hosting both single-night tour stops and extended, high-grossing residencies.

Artists at their commercial peak — from pop superstars like Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga to EDM headliners such as Illenium — commit to multi-show Las Vegas runs that can span weeks, months, or even years.

Residencies are a lucrative tourism draw for Las Vegas. “About one in five travelers visit for shows, including concert residencies,” Arizona Republic reporter Michael Salerno told CDC Gaming.

On average, travelers to Las Vegas spent about $322.24 on entertainment per trip in 2024, up from $278 in 2023, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The latest entertainer to commit to a multi-show run in Las Vegas is hip-hop superstar Mary J. Blige, the nine-time Grammy Award winner who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

Mary J. Blige will play her first residency in Las Vegas.

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Mary J. Blige will play multiple shows on the Las Vegas Strip

Blige will play 10 shows at Dolby Live at Park MGMin May and July 2026, she announced on the Today Show this week.

It’s the first residency for the singer whose melding of hip-hop and soul makes her performances more dramatic than a typical hip-hop show.

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The “Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story The Las Vegas Residency” will kick off May 1; Blige will play five shows in May and follow up with another five performances in July.

“It’s going to be done more theatrical,” Blige said during the Today segment. “It’s still going to have the music, it’s still going to be fun — but it’s a story so there’s going to be actors and actresses. So the music tells the story. I have so many songs I haven’t performed yet for my fans. … The actors are going to narrate the music.”

Dates for the Mary J. Blige Las Vegas Strip residency

Presale tickets are now available for Citi/Advantage card holders for shows on May 1, 2,6,8 and 9 and July 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18. Presale ends on Jan. 16, 2026, and tickets will be available to the general public.

The biggest Las Vegas Strip residencies of 2026 announced so far through June

The following dates and locations are based on venue announcements and artist tour schedules.

January 2026

  • January 15, 18, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30 and 31: Blake Shelton at The Colosseum
  • January 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 30 and 31 Zayn Malik at Park MGM
  • January 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, 29, and 31: Santana at House of Blues
  • January 23, 24, 30 and 31: The Eagles at The Sphere

February 2026

  • February 1: Santana at House of Blues
  • February 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Backstreet Boys, Into the Millennium at The Sphere
  • February 13, 14, 15, 20 and 21: Marc Anthony, Vegas My Way at BleauLive Theater
  • February 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 25, 27 and 28: New Kids on the Block, The Right Stuff at Dolby Live
  • February 20, 21, 27 and 28: TheEagles at The Sphere

March 2026

  • March 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14: Illenium at The Sphere
  • March 6, 7,13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28: Jennifer Lopez, Up All Night at The Colosseum
  • March 20, 21, 27 and 28: TheEagles at The Sphere

Related: Beloved party band adds dates in Las Vegas

April 2026

  • April 2 and 4: Illenium at The Sphere
  • April 24, 25 and 29: Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun at The Colosseum

May 2026

  • May 1 and 2: Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun at The Colosseum
  • May 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9: Mary J. Blige at Dolby Live
  • May 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23 and 24: Santana at House of Blues
  • May 6, 8, 9, 13, 15 and 16: No Doubt at The Sphere

June 2026

  • June 9, 20, 24, 26 and 27: New Kids on the Block, The Right Stuff at Dolby Live
  • June 3, 5, 6, 10, 12 and 13: No Doubt at The Sphere
  • June 2, 4 and 6: Rod Stewart at The Colosseum
  • June 19, 20, 24, 26 and 27 Kenny Chesney at The Sphere

Top-grossing Las Vegas residencies

Casino.org listed the following residencies as the highest-grossing residencies of all time.

  • Celine Dion: A New Day… at Caesars Palace grossed ~$385 million from 717 shows at Caesars Palace.
  • Celine Dion: Celine at Caesars Palace grossed ~$296 million.
  • U2 – UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere: ~$244.5 million gross from 40 shows.
  • Adele, “Weekends With Adele” at Caesars Palace grossed ~$200M.
  • Elton John: The Red Pianoat Caesars Palace grossed ~$169 million.
  • Britney Spears: Piece of Me at Planet Hollywood grossed ~$137 million.
  • Jennifer Lopez: All I Have: ~$101.9 million gross ticket sales.
  • Dead & Company, “Dead Forever: Live at Sphere”grossed $131.8 million.
  • Garth Brooks, “Plus One,” at Caesars Palace grossed $130 million.
  • Bruno Mars, “Bruno Mars at Park MGM” grossed $124.5 million.

Related: The top 5 greatest Las Vegas residencies of all time