Superstar singer chooses bigger gig instead of Las Vegas Sphere

The Las Vegas Sphere has become synonymous with big-name music residencies since it opened its doors in 2023.

U2 kicked things off and ultimately played 40 shows, bringing in an estimated $244-256 million.

Vegas has come to rely on music residencies as a steady source of revenue, even during challenging economic periods, like the one it has experienced since early 2025.

Of course, Las Vegas isn't the only place where musicians put down stakes for long-term engagements.

Branson, Missouri, is well known as a stop for tribute bands — you can catch Back to the Bee Gees and Beach Boys, California Dreamin' right now — and in "Music City," aka Nashville, A-list country musicians including Jason Isbell and Ashley McBryde have booked multiple shows that qualify as residencies.

While smaller markets like Branson and Nashville rely on residencies for steady tourism, the real financial heavyweights remain Las Vegas and New York.

Outside of Las Vegas, the venue best known for its residencies is Madison Square Garden in New York. That's where Billy Joel played a historic 10-year residency comprising 104 shows, according to an MSG announcement; Joel concluded his run in 2024.

Now, a member of the new generation of popular music is chipping away at Joel's record. Harry Styles just announced a 30-show run at Madison Square Garden, with the "Together, Together" shows spread over three months in summer and fall 2026.

Harry Styles' three-month MSG residency kicks off this summer

When Joel played his last show, fans booed, and Joel responded, "We don't want to leave either, but it's time," Joel said, according to an ABC report. Joel called the 10-year residency "the most amazing gig that we've ever done, ever."

I was lucky enough to attend one of Billy Joel's shows in the fall of 2019, right before the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily interrupted his historic run. I had low expectations ("He's old," I thought, rudely), but was blown away by Joel's showmanship, his overall stamina, and his ability to keep the massive crowd fully engaged for more than two hours.

Related: Beloved party band adds dates in Las Vegas

Harry Styles does not (yet) have the career longevity of Billy Joel, but during his "Love on Tour" 2022 15-night MSG residency, he became the highest-grossing single engagement in the venue’s history, according to Ticketmaster.

Presale for Styles' "Together, Together" tour tickets starts today, Jan. 26, with various levels and presale offerings for different shows extending through Feb. 4, 2026.

Harry Styles never planned to do a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas

Last year, rumors surfaced that the global pop star was in talks to play 35 dates at The Sphere on the Las Vegas Strip.

But according to a March 2025 story in Billboard, the rumors were just that. “To set the record straight, there have never been plans for Harry Styles to perform at Sphere,” a Sphere representative said.

Styles' 2026 tour in support of his new album, which Billboard says is called "Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally," kicks off in May in Amsterdam.

From there he'll perform in:

• London, England
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Mexico City, Mexico
• New York City
• Melbourne, Australia
• Sydney, Australia

There has been no announcement about Styles doing a Las Vegas residency this time around, either, so fans who want to see him in the U.S. will have to head to New York in August, September, or October.

The Las Vegas Sphere vs. Madison Square Garden historic residencies

The highest-grossing shows so far at The Sphere are:

• U2
  40 shows (September 2023-March 2024) Gross revenue: $244.5-$256 million Tickets sold: 661,456 to 663,000, according to UltimateClassicRock
• Dead & Company
  30 shows (2024) Gross revenue: $130-$131.4 million Tickets sold: More than 476,000, according to Jambase
• The Eagles
  28 shows (2024-2025) $135.5 million, according to Billboard Boxscore

About 600,000 tickets will be available for the Harry Styles 2026 residency. Based on per-show grosses from Styles’ 2022 MSG run, industry estimates suggest the 2026 residency could approach $135 million — though final figures won’t be known until Boxscore data is reported after the shows conclude.

These are the highest-grossing residencies at Madison Square Garden so far.

• Billy Joel
  104 shows (2014-2024) Gross revenue: $266.7 million Tickets sold: 1.9 million, according to Vermillion County First

• Harry Styles
  15 shows (2022) Gross revenue: $63.1 million Tickets sold: 276,852, according to Ticketmaster data cited by Pollstar
• Phish
  13 shows (2017) Gross revenue: $15.1 million Tickets sold: 227,385, according to Ticketmaster data cited by Pollstar

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