“Coachella was a destination where people went for the hang, went for the music, went because they had FOMO,” he said. “So I think of residencies as the same as a festival.” Rose, who represents Styles, John Mayer, Katy Perry and other major acts, said he was unable to comment on specifics about his clients’ tours. Styles’s managers also declined to comment.
Las Vegas, once derided as a landing spot for performers past their prime, has gradually been remade as a moneymaking capital for top acts. Celine Dion was pivotal in this change, selling about $660 million in tickets for two residencies starting in 2003. Elton John, Britney Spears, Adele and other stars followed. (After health problems, Dion will mount a comeback series next month in Paris.)
Then came Sphere, the $2.3 billion brainchild of James Dolan, the executive behind Madison Square Garden, which has further transformed Vegas. Since U2 inaugurated the venue in 2023, its futuristic visual display — and fans’ willingness to pay premium prices to be there — have set a new standard. Rose called Sphere the new “mother of all residencies.”
For artists and their crews, staying put can ease the wear and tear of the road and offer rare creature comforts, said Michele Bernstein, a former partner at William Morris Endeavor who has consulted with artists like Bruno Mars and Dead & Company on touring. “You can have some familiarity,” Bernstein said. “Brew your own coffee, keep your fitness routine.”
But when a residency replaces a full tour, it can place financial burdens on ticket buyers.
“It’s worse for fans,” said Jonathan Daniel of Crush Music, which manages the careers of Green Day, Miley Cyrus and Alanis Morissette. “But no artists think, ‘How can we make things worse for fans?’” Daniel added.
