Blink-182 has a special connection to Las Vegas. The band established the city’s first pop-punk residency in 2018 at Palms, selling out a 16-show series and creating a Sin City legacy. The fact that the group is performing at the massive T-Mobile Arena tells you all you need to know about its fan base, as enthusiastic today as it was when the band made its splash on the music scene with Cheshire Cat in 1995.
What makes this week’s return to Vegas, part of the band’s One More Time Tour, doubly exciting is the return of singer and guitarist Tom DeLonge, who rejoined the group, comprised of drummer Travis Barker and bassist Mark Hoppus, in a surprise appearance at Coachella in 2023 after a nine-year absence.
When blink-182 performed its Vegas residency, Matt Skiba filled in for DeLonge, and it was clear how much the band loved performing that Kings of the Weekend residency. It brought a fantastic production to town, one complete with 30-song sets and giant inflatable pizza slices, pretzels and blowup dolls being tossed around the performance space. At one point, Hoppus exclaimed to the crowd, “I’m never touring again. I’m just going to play Las Vegas!”
Hoppus confirmed his love of Las Vegas in an interview with Las Vegas Magazine at the time: “I think Vegas is a great opportunity for people all over to come and have a great weekend, and partake in all that Las Vegas has to offer. See a show and have some fun, and make it a cool thing.”
Since that residency, blink-182’s connection with Las Vegas has continued—at least for drummer Barker, who can now claim the distinction of being the most-tattooed figure at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas’ wax collection at The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. His figure, unveiled in 2023, even features a wardrobe supplied by Barker himself—leather jacket, boots, pants and a studded belt, not to mention nose ring, chain necklace and replicated wedding ring.
Expect a true homecoming-style feel at this week’s show, which will no doubt contain at least some of the hits the band has had since 2018, including “One More Time…” from its 2023 album of the same name. One more time indeed!
T-Mobile Arena, 7 p.m. July 3, starting at $45 plus tax and fee. axs.com
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