The ultimate guide to 2025 concerts and music festivals in Las Vegas
Over 10 million people have already seen it.
Now, after three years, Vegas finally gets its chance to add to those blockbuster numbers.
Since launching in March 2022, Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” world tour has become the most attended tour of all time, with 10.3 million tickets sold.
While Taylor Swift’s record-smashing “Eras” tour deservedly earned plenty of headlines for its unprecedented success, the British rockers weren’t far behind, earning a whopping $1.14 billion as the second-highest-grossing tour ever.
The outing comes to an end Sept. 8 following an epic 10-night stand at London’s Wembley Stadium.
But before then, it comes to Vegas with a pair of shows at Allegiant Stadium on June 6 and 7 in one of the city’s biggest concert events of the year.
Coldplay highlights a predictably loaded Vegas concert calendar for 2025. Here are some other notable shows:
Stadium concerts
■ Get “Thunderstruck” once again by one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time when AC/DC and its 69-year-old schoolboy guitarist Angus Young duckwalk into Allegiant Stadium on April 26.
■ Singer Post Malone ringing in the new year on the Strip portended big things for 2025. This includes his sizable stadium outing due to hit Vegas on May 3 with Jelly Roll and Sierra Ferrell.
■ “All the Stars” align once more when hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar teams up with R&B chanteuse SZA on the “Grand National” tour on May 31.
■ Her hips promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when Shakira shimmies into town on June 28.
New residencies
■ Fuel up on a platter of Redneck Nachos at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red bar and grill on the Strip and then see the man himself perform at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, where Shelton will play six shows from Feb. 5 to 15.
■ No Fergie? No problem: Hip-pop favorites the Black Eyed Peas keep the party going even without their aforementioned singer with a 15-show stint at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort that launches Feb. 15.
■ Teutonic hard rock greats the Scorpions follow up last year’s “Love at First Sting” run at PH Live with a new residency celebrating their 60th anniversary, a five-show series at the same venue beginning Feb. 27.
■ The Dead & Company blazed eyeballs — and perhaps a few other things — last year at the Sphere, and they return this spring to commemorate 10 years together with 18 shows starting March 20.
■ Kick-start your heart when hard rockers Motley Crue launch an 11-show run at Dolby Live at Park MGM on March 28.
■ Following last year’s hit “The Best of All Worlds” tour, rocker Sammy Hagar reconvenes with bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Kenny Aronoff for the “The Best of All Worlds” residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM, featuring an only-in-Vegas setlist for nine shows from April 30 through May 17.
■ Multitalented multihyphenate Josh Groban brings his “Gems” engagement to the Colosseum for five shows May 9 to 17.
■ After two years of smaller shows in more intimate venues playing his original songs, “Weird Al” Yankovic returns to larger rooms and stages on his “Bigger and Weirder” tour, which launches in Vegas with six shows at the Venetian Theatre beginning June 13.
■ You love rock ’n’ roll, she loves rock ’n’ roll — celebrate your mutual affections with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on June 13, 14, 18, 20 and 21.
■ Do you have the right stuff? You’d better or you will be denied entry when the New Kids on the Block launch their first-ever Vegas residency, with 24 shows at Dolby Live starting June 20.
Festivals for all
■ Stock up on the pomade as the valley’s longest-running music fest hits town for year 28. The rockabilly-heavy Viva Las Vegas swarms The Orleans in pompadours, hot rods and vintage rock ’n’ roll from April 24 to 27.
■ Island and reggae music fest Holo Holo returns for its third year with Common Kings, Steel Pulse, Fia and more at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center on April 26 and 27.
■ The Royale with Cheese of music festivals, the Big Gulp of dance parties, the biggest of them all returns when Electric Daisy Carnival wraps Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a cocoon of light and sound May 16 to 18.
■ As if the Punk Rock Bowling hordes need any more reason to party, the fest celebrates its 25th anniversary this go-round with another stellar lineup headlined by Peter Hook & the Light playing the best of Joy Division, scene lifers Social Distortion making their first PRB appearance and the pioneering Cock Sparrer making their last at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, May 24 to 26.
■ We get it, the Bigger-est Blues Bender doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but the Big Blues Bender just keeps getting bigger and bigger, with this year’s lineup featuring over 30 acts, including The Teskey Brothers, Larkin Poe, The Mavericks, fest staple Tab Benoit and many, many more at the Westgate Las Vegas from Sept. 4 to 7.
■ They’ll be writing sins, not tragedies when Vegas’ own Panic! At the Disco reconvenes to play smash debut “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” in its entirety alongside Blink-182, Avril Lavigne, Weezer and dozens more during When We Were Young at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Oct. 18.
■ “Keep the vibes alive” when Reggae Rise-up rises up again at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, Oct. 3 to 5.
Arena fillers galore
■ The “Queen of Hip-hop Soul” Mary J. Blige greets her court at T-Mobile Arena on Feb. 28. Vegas’ Ne-Yo joins her on the bill along with Mario.
■ Long one of hip-hop’s most inventive, innovative acts, Tyler, the Creator continues to push boundaries at the MGM Grand Garden on March 7.
■ Alt-metallers Deftones play their biggest Vegas headlining show yet at the MGM Grand Garden on March 8.
Call “Dibs” on Kelsea Ballerini tix when the country singer plays T-Mobile Arena on March 28.
■ Nü metal has yet to get old as Papa Roach continues to demonstrate, the rockers pairing up with Rise Against and Underoath at the MGM Grand Garden on April 5.
■ Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Rauw Alejandro brings his hotly-anticipated “Cosa Nuestra” world tour to T-Mobile Arena on April 11.
■ Metallers Disturbed celebrate the 25th anniversary of their smash debut “The Sickness” at the MGM Grand Garden on May 17. Everybody, all together now, “oh wah-ah-ah-ah!”
■ Neotraditional country singer Tyler Childers comes with an equally heartfelt and hell raisin’ songbook, delivering his throwback sounds at the MGM Grand Garden on June 7.
— Theatrical Swedish hard rockers Ghost get spooky at the MGM Grand Garden on Aug. 9.
■ Country-reggae singer Maoli brings his “One Last Sip of Summer” tour to T-Mobile Arena on Aug. 9.
Theater, club and outdoor shows
■ Soul greats the Isley Brothers continue to “Twist and Shout” 70 (!) years into their storied career at The Pearl at the Palms on Jan. 17 and 18.
■ The Killers absolutely killed it during their residency at the Colosseum last year, playing their seminal 2004 debut, “Hot Fuss,” in its entirety. They return for three encore shows Jan. 22, 24 and 25.
■ Former One Direction heartthrob Zayn, who became the first British male artist to debut at No. 1 in both the U.K. and the U.S. with his first single and album in 2016, brings some “Pillowtalk” to The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Feb. 1.
■ All-time great MC Nas teams up with the Las Vegas Philharmonic in a can’t-miss pairing at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on Feb. 5, 7 and 8.
■ All the other kids with the pumped up kicks had better run, better run to BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas when indie popsters Foster the People hit town on Feb. 8.
■ The forecast will surely include some blood showers when Slayer guitarist Kerry King, an avid Raiders fan who has a home here, goes solo at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on Feb. 22.
■ Hip-hop heads will be rolling into the Brooklyn Bowl at the Linq Promenade in droves when Destroy Lonely performs there on Feb. 22, followed by Mike Sherm on Feb. 23 and 070 Shake on Feb. 25.
■ We can already hear the ladies sigh as R&B favorites Joe, Musiq Soulchild and Eric Benet perform together at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on March 8.
■ It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Vegas without Celt punks Flogging Molly and their “Shamrock Rebellion” show, which this year also features Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, The Aggrolites and Slaughterhouse, on March 15 at The Pearl at the Palms.
■ Question for all the mothers out there: Do you want to bang heads with one Glenn Danzig? Get your chance when Danzig tops a loaded lineup of fellow heavy hitters Down, Abbath and Cro-Mags at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on March 21.
■ It was a major bummer when heavy music fest Sick New Word was canceled this year, but headbangers can get some solace when a number of bands from the festival lineup perform here that weekend, including Meshuggah teaming up with Cannibal Corpse and Carcass at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on April 11; Machine Head, In Flames, Lacuna Coil and Unearth throwing down at the House of Blues on April 12; and Napalm Death and the Melvins hitting Swan Dive on April 12.
■ Last year, Tool/Puscifer/A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan celebrated his 60th birthday with the “Sessanta” tour, in which Puscifer and A Perfect Circle teamed up with Primus, with all three bands sharing the stage. He’s bringing the trek to town once more at PH Live on April 25.
■ Pianist Diana Krall, the only jazz singer to have eight records debut atop the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, performs at The Smith Center on May 7.
■ Forward-thinking EDM acts LSDREAM and CloZee team up as LSZEE at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on June 6 and 7.
■ Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Elvis Costello plays The Pearl at the Palms on June 26.
■ Post-hardcore favorites Pierce the Veil pierce eardrums at PH Live on June 29.
■ “Lose Control” with R&B/country singer Teddy Swims at PH Live on Aug. 1.
■ “Am I Okay?” country singer Megan Moroney asked in the title of her sophomore record, released last summer. Find out as she headlines The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Oct. 4 and 5.
Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @jasonbracelin76 on Instagram.