And you, Blake? The ancient Roman-themed Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas will welcome Blake Shelton for a residency next year. The shows will take place on February 5, 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15. The Colosseum, which opened in 2003, can seat more than 4,000 people. Tickets for what is officially known as “Blake Shelton: Live in Las Vegas” go on sale on August 16 at 10 a.m. PT, but fans with pre-sale codes will be able to start purchasing tickets on Friday at the same time.
“We’ve been talking about doing a concert in Las Vegas for several years, and all the elements have come together to make it happen next year,” Shelton said in a statement. “The Colosseum is such a special place, and I’m excited to bring some neon to the mansion.”
In an interview with the peopleShelton explained that a handful of Sin City dates were his way of getting franchises through the city’s Bat Wings so he could legitimize the Las Vegas location of Ole Red, a Nashville-based restaurant that opened last year. “If you’re going to have a stake in Las Vegas, you have to do a residency — even if you’re an artist,” Shelton said. “I was putting it off because I wanted Ole Red to be open before I did.”
In that vein, he told the magazine that he plans to split his time between the gladiator-themed Caesars Bar and his Sheltonk Cafe. “While I’m there, I might end up at All Red and jump on that stage one night,” he said. (According to Eater, All Red seats just under 700 people and more than 1,100, so Colosseum gladiators should expect to wrestle lions and get a Russell Crowe-like rage if they find out too late that Shelton is making a surprise visit.)
Shelton got his first taste of Las Vegas residency life when he joined his wife, Gwen Stefani, on stage at her home for a performance of “Happy Anywhere.” He said the people He's seen her perform 15 or 16 times. The experience has taught him the basics of audience expectations for these types of shows, and how to balance unexpected moments with successes. “I never want people to leave my shows saying, 'Oh my God, Austin didn't sing,' or 'I wanted to hear God's Country,'” he said.
