Elton John

Las Vegas, 2004-2018

First Las Vegas show: September 15, 1971, Las Vegas Convention Center Rotunda
The Red Piano opened: February 12, 2004, at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace
The Red Piano: 243 shows; final show April 22, 2009; about 1 million tickets sold
Red Piano original booking: 75 shows over three years
The Million Dollar Piano opened: September 28, 2011
The Million Dollar Piano: 207 shows; closed May 2018
Colosseum total: 450 shows to more than 1.8 million fans
The piano: Built by Yamaha with more than 68 LED video screens; took nearly four years to make

About

Elton John first played Las Vegas on September 15, 1971, at the Convention Center Rotunda. More than three decades later he became one of the Colosseum at Caesars Palace's defining headliners. The Red Piano opened there on February 12, 2004. It was booked for 75 shows over three years, but the run was extended and ended on April 22, 2009, after 243 performances and roughly a million tickets.

He came back on September 28, 2011, almost exactly 40 years after that first Vegas date, with The Million Dollar Piano. The show was built around a custom Yamaha piano carrying more than 68 LED video screens that took nearly four years to construct, playing films made for each song. The original set list drew 19 songs from 11 albums across four decades, and only one song was swapped during the run: "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" replaced "Blue Eyes" in October 2012.

The Million Dollar Piano closed in May 2018 after 207 performances over six and a half years. Across both residencies Elton played 450 shows at the Colosseum to more than 1.8 million fans, by far the most shows he has played in one venue. Caesars Palace president Gary Selesner said his residency "set the standard for all that have followed."

What to expect

Elton John has no current Las Vegas show. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, where he played both residencies, still hosts headliners, and Caesars' current Colosseum lineup does not include him.

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Good to know

Elton's official site says the May 17, 2018, performance was his 450th at the Colosseum, while its earlier announcement put the residency's close on May 19, 2018.
The Colosseum opened in 2003 for Celine Dion's first residency, so Elton was among its earliest headliners.
His band in The Million Dollar Piano included Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Matt Bissonette, John Mahon, Kim Bullard and percussionist Ray Cooper.
The 19 films used in The Million Dollar Piano took 175 people to create, according to his official site.

Questions about Elton John

How many shows did Elton John play in Las Vegas?

Elton John played 450 shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace across two residencies, according to his official site: 243 performances of The Red Piano from 2004 to 2009 and 207 of The Million Dollar Piano from 2011 to 2018. They drew more than 1.8 million fans.

When was Elton John's Red Piano residency?

The Red Piano opened at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on February 12, 2004, and closed on April 22, 2009. It was first booked for 75 shows over three years, but was extended to 243 performances and sold about one million tickets.

What was the Million Dollar Piano?

It was both Elton John's second Caesars Palace residency and the instrument at its center: a Yamaha piano fitted with more than 68 LED video screens that took nearly four years to build. The show opened September 28, 2011, and closed in May 2018 after 207 performances.

Is Elton John performing in Las Vegas now?

No. His last Las Vegas residency, The Million Dollar Piano, ended in May 2018 after 207 performances, and the Colosseum at Caesars Palace's current lineup does not list him. The Colosseum itself still operates and hosts other headliners and limited engagements, so it is still possible to see a show in the room where he played 450 times.

When did Elton John first play Las Vegas?

His official site says Elton first played Las Vegas on September 15, 1971, at the Las Vegas Convention Center Rotunda. He timed The Million Dollar Piano's debut, on September 28, 2011, to mark roughly 40 years since that first appearance.