After two of the most successful residencies in the history of Las Vegas, Celine Dion is returning to Sin City for another series of performances. This time she will perform in an even bigger place than before.

Celine Dion’s Return to Las Vegas

As live music is returning to our lives, Celine Dion returns to Las Vegas. On November 5th, the Canadian superstar will open the Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas with a 10-show run. The new theater has 5,000 seats, which is 900 more than the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, where Celine played two residencies that were over 16 years long! In fact, those two residencies were the most successful in the history of Las Vegas.

The first one was called A New Day, and it started in 2003. It lasted four years, and during that time Celine performed in 720 shows. The gross earnings of this residency were an amazing $385.1 million. The singer returned to Las Vegas in 2011, for her second residency, Celine. This time, it lasted for more than 8 years, and Celine performed in 427 shows. With the gross earnings of $245.5 million, Celine was far behind A New Day, but this was still the second most successful Las Vegas residency ever.

This is what this music and fashion icon had to say about performing in a new venue in Las Vegas: “We have an amazing opportunity to start in a brand-new place. I haven’t seen it in person yet, but this theater is state of the art and all the technology is the crème de la crème. Everybody is super excited, and we’re all working really hard.”

What are Las Vegas Residencies?

But what actually is a Las Vegas residency? Well, this is the name for a specific contract that a well-known artist signs with one of the big venues in Las Vegas. The star agrees to perform regularly at a single venue, over an agreed period. Usually, the artist agrees to perform in one of the biggest casinos on the Strip, several times per week, for a few months, or even years. And in the case of Celine Dion, her two residencies lasted for more than a decade and a half!

But what Dion did in Las Vegas with her two residencies is not specific only because of her huge success. She also changed Las Vegas forever, especially when it comes to top musical performances.

Before A New Day, a Las Vegas residency was considered something appropriate for a musician who is at the end of their career. But in 2003, Celine Dion was the top artist in the world. When she decided to commit to an exclusive Las Vegas residency, she was ridiculed by many. And she proved them all wrong.

Because of her decision, Las Vegas is today a place where people from all over go to see a performance by musical stars such as Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, or Jennifer Lopez. It is no longer a place where people go to see a concert only if it already coincides with their planned trip.

Why do Las Vegas Residencies Exist?

Las Vegas casinos are in a tough spot. They not only need to compete with each other for a better position in the market, but as the process of legalization of gambling progresses, more casinos appear across the continent all the time. To add to this, the internet has become a big source of competition as well. For example, in Canada, Celine Dion’s country of origin, there are currently more online casinos to choose from than there are land-based ones. And these online venues come with a lot of great advantages like a big game variability, generous bonus offers and promotions, and various payment methods players can use.

In such conditions, having a regular performance in traditional Vegas casinos by an A-List musical act can be just the thing to attract additional customers. Especially because Las Vegas has an image of a glamorous place, and is historically connected to music and movie stars.

On the other hand, the performer can find the residency attractive because it allows them to settle down in one place. As Celine put it herself in 2003: “I can actually lead a pretty normal life in Las Vegas. Yes, I will be a performer, but I’ll also be a wife and mother…During the day I will be with my family, then I will perform and then go home to my bed and my husband.”

Celine Dion forever changed the city for the better. In 2003, when she was on her peak as a star, she gambled and chose to risk it and try something new, against the advice of many. As is appropriate when it comes to Las Vegas, the risk paid off. She not only made a lot of money, but also opened the door for other top musical performers. On November 5th she returns to Las Vegas, this time with more confidence than ever before.