Celine Dion

Las Vegas, 2003-2019

Nationality
Canadian
Las Vegas venue
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, a 4,300-seat theater built for her residency
First residency
"A New Day...", March 25, 2003 to December 15, 2007, 717 performances
Original contract
200 shows a year for three years
Second residency
"Celine", March 15, 2011 to June 8, 2019
Colosseum total
1,141 shows for 4.5 million fans across both residencies
1,000th Colosseum show
October 2016
Planned Resorts World residency
Called off in October 2021; she later revealed she has stiff person syndrome
Return to the stage
"Celine Dion Paris 2026", a limited engagement at Paris La Defense Arena
Where to see her legacy today
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, which still hosts major residencies

About

Celine Dion opened "A New Day..." on March 25, 2003, in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, a theater built for her show. She signed for 200 shows a year for three years, and the Las Vegas Sun notes that many industry observers thought that was too many for one artist. At the time, Las Vegas residencies were widely seen as the territory of lounge acts and fading stars. Instead, the Franco Dragone-directed show ran 717 performances through December 15, 2007.

After a three-year break she returned on March 15, 2011, with "Celine", a new show directed by Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich, and played her 1,000th Colosseum show in October 2016. Her final Colosseum performance was on June 8, 2019. Across both productions she played 1,141 shows for 4.5 million fans, according to the Review-Journal. "Las Vegas has become my home," she said when announcing the end of the run.

Her success changed the Strip. Promoters and Caesars executives credit her with establishing the modern residency, in which a star at the height of her career settles into one Las Vegas theater, a model followed by Elton John, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Bruno Mars and Adele.

Dion was due to open a new residency at Resorts World Las Vegas in November 2021, but the shows were called off for health reasons. In December 2022 she revealed she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes muscle rigidity and spasms. In 2026 she announced "Celine Dion Paris 2026", her first concerts since the diagnosis. The Review-Journal has reported that her Las Vegas return remains uncertain.

What to expect

The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the round, 4,300-seat theater built for her in 2003, is still one of the Strip's main residency venues. After her departure it was renovated in 2019, and it has since hosted residencies by artists including Adele, Garth Brooks, Rod Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld. There is no dedicated Celine Dion exhibit or memorial in Las Vegas that we could confirm.

More people who shaped Las Vegas

Las Vegas history

Good to know

  • Counts for "A New Day..." vary slightly; Caesars and AEG gave 717 performances in their 2016 announcement.
  • Before Dion, Caesars' president of entertainment says, contemporary stars rarely chose a long Las Vegas residency at the peak of their careers.
  • Her most recent concerts before her diagnosis were on March 7-8, 2020, in Newark, New Jersey.
  • The Colosseum's 2019 renovation added an automated modular seating system, allowing standing-room configurations that her shows did not use.

Questions about Celine Dion

Where did Celine Dion perform in Las Vegas?

Celine Dion performed at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, a theater built for her first residency. "A New Day..." ran from March 25, 2003, to December 15, 2007, and "Celine" ran from March 15, 2011, to June 8, 2019. Together the two shows totaled 1,141 performances for 4.5 million fans, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Was the Colosseum built for Celine Dion?

Yes. Caesars Palace built the round Colosseum theater specifically for her residency "A New Day...", which opened in March 2003. The venue has 4,300 seats and a 15,700-square-foot stage, and no seat is more than 145 feet from the stage. It was renovated in 2019 and continues to host residencies by stars such as Adele and Garth Brooks.

Did Celine Dion invent the Las Vegas residency?

Not exactly. Elvis Presley and the Rat Pack had long runs in Las Vegas decades earlier. But Caesars and AEG executives credit Dion with creating the modern residency, in which a major artist at the peak of her career commits to one Las Vegas theater. Her success was followed by residencies from Elton John, Britney Spears, Bruno Mars and Adele.

Will Celine Dion perform in Las Vegas again?

That is uncertain. She was set to open a residency at Resorts World Las Vegas in November 2021, but the shows were called off, and in December 2022 she revealed she has stiff person syndrome. She announced a 2026 limited engagement in Paris, her first concerts since the diagnosis. No new Las Vegas dates had been confirmed in the reporting we reviewed.

How many shows did Celine Dion do at Caesars Palace?

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Dion played 1,141 shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace across two residencies, for about 4.5 million fans. Her first show, "A New Day...", accounted for 717 of those performances between 2003 and 2007. She celebrated her 1,000th Colosseum performance in October 2016.