Blake Shelton announces series of shows on Las Vegas Strip
Blake Shelton has a vision of Las Vegas as high as the Farmall hanging upside-down from Ole Red.
Shelton opened the enormously popular, four-level, live-music haunt in February. Now he’s announced a new production, on the other side of the Las Vegas Strip.
The country superstar has booked a series of shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, covering the Valentine’s Day and the first two weeks of February. The 48-year-old country star will headline six performances at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace from Feb. 5-15, 2025.
Dubbed “Blake Shelton: Live in Las Vegas,” the show is a partnership between Caesars Entertainment and Live Nation Las Vegas.
“We’ve been talking about a Vegas residency for a few years, and all the pieces just came together for a run next year,” Shelton said in a statement. “The Colosseum is such an iconic venue, and I’m excited to bring some honky-tonk neon to the Palace.”
Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday at 10 a.m.
This is Shelton’s first extended series in Las Vegas, he’s already aligned with the city with his Ole Red venue on the Strip. His wife, Gwen Stefani, has twice performed with him at the venue, in its preview night Feb. 10, and also in April’s club premiere.
Expect Shelton to step in and kick it up at Ole Red as he headlines the Colosseum.
“Eventually, we’ll be open long enough that people are going to start crashing the place, leaving their concerts and coming over and playing late at night,” Shelton said in May at the Keep Memory Alive Power of Love gala, where he was this year’s honoree at MGM Grand Garden. “Now, I say that because I’m going to do it. So that least counts as one (laughs). But that’s what it’s designed to do is for these jams and people to get up.”
The Valentine’s Day timeline is appropriate as Shelton and Stefani now share a history of Las Vegas residencies. Stefani’s highly popular “Just a Girl” production at Zappos Theater (today’s Bakkt Theater) ran from June 2018 through November 2021, a total of 57 shows.
Shelton said he saw the show 12 or 13 times. The seed was planted for his own show.
“That’s probably a good way to put it, a stepping stone,” Shelton said during a 2021 interview at the Horseshoe previewing the Ole Red club. “I mean, it’s not until now that I’ve ever even thought, ‘Maybe I can do a Vegas residency.’ I don’t want to mislead you and say that something’s on the table, but it’s on the radar.”
Having someone so close to him headline on the Strip helped Shelton understand the specifics of an ongoing Vegas production.
“A lot of my friends are doing these things, and knowing the inside and outside of Gwen’s show, I’m thinking, if there’s a way that I could do it, I would have a blast,” Shelton said. “So I’m definitely starting to think about it now. I’ve had a lot of thoughts over my career that never became anything, but this makes all the sense in the world.”
Shelton’s production joins an impressive roster of country shows at the Colosseum, which opened in 2003 with Celine Dion’s “A New Day …” Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn, Shania Twain, Keith Urban and currently Garth Brooks are the country superstars who have headlined the venue.
Shelton’s performances in Las Vegas date nearly 20 years. He performed at Golden Nugget before gaining fame as a recording artist, and later a coach on NBC’s “The Voice.” He once joined Frankie Moreno’s band at Rush Lounge for a cover of Jerry Reed’s ‘”Amos Moses.”
Shelton has hazy memories of that event, “I probably had a few drinks by that point. All my good Vegas stories are back before I had paparazzi following me around.”
What Works in Vegas
Morgan Wallen at Allegiant Stadium. “The Voice” alum who has exploded on the music scene sold more than 100,000 tickets to his performances Thursday and Friday. Opening act Jelly Roll said twice from the stage that 65,000 were in the house for Thursday’s show. An official estimate is at least 50,000 that night and again Friday.
Jelly Roll joined Wallen during Wallen’s set for a roaring run through “Cowgirls.” Earlier, Machine Gun Kelly sidled up to Jelly Roll for their collab “Lonely Road,” a tribute to John Denver’s iconic “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” ”
Wallen performed with some local color, wardrobe-wise. The country star wore a customized No. 7 Raiders’ jersey for much of the show. He switched to what seemed a Las Vegas High blue-and-red baseball jersey with “Harper” across the back and the number 3. Phillies star and Vegas native Bryce Harper attended LVH, but wore No. 34.
The decision might have also been a nod to Jelly Roll’s wife, Bunnie XO, who attended LVH and greeted the sold-out crowd Thursday.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie live in Las Vegas, to tie together the VegasVille connections.
Cool Hang Alert
High Rocktane is up Saturday at Amp’d at M Resort. The band plays “today’s hits and yesterday’s favorites,” as the hotel trumpets. No cover, show runs from 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. If you’re on date night (or want it to be), hit Jayde @ 16 upstairs, wonderful Asian fusion fare and a fab view of the valley.
PodKats episodes
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.