Selling out the same city twice surely gives a band a certain level of confidence. When Def Leppard returns to Las Vegas this February for its third residency—this time at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace—it’s not about proving anything but simply showing up for the fans who’ve been there since Pyromania.
The 12-show run follows sold-out residencies in 2013 and 2019, marking the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees’ first time at The Colosseum. For a band that’s moved 110 million albums worldwide and lasted four decades in the music industry, this one is all about fine-tuning an already well-honed instrument.
Lead singer Joe Elliott has said Las Vegas works as a main attraction for Def Leppard, and it’s hard to argue. “There’s no place on Earth where you can have the likes of Adele, U2 and The Eagles all playing sold-out shows on the same night,” Elliott said.
This time around, the band arrives with serious momentum. Its 2024 single with Tom Morello, “Just Like 73,” hit No. 1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock chart. Guitarist Phil Collen—who joined Def Leppard in 1982 and helped define the band’s signature dual-guitar sound—describes the track as pulling from that early-’70s moment when David Bowie turned everything technicolor. Elliott calls it a celebration of influences that are deeply ingrained in the band’s DNA. It’s the kind of music that doesn’t just stick with you, it shapes how you think about what rock can be.
Speaking of DNA, Def Leppard’s includes Pyromania (11x platinum), Hysteria (14x platinum) and songs such as “Love Bites” that are embedded into the rotation. But the band’s recent work shows it’s not merely resting on the hits. Diamond Star Halos (2022) was all about collaboration, while Drastic Symphonies (2023), recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Classical chart and hit No. 4 in the U.K., the band’s highest chart position there in over 30 years.
The residency follows a touring cycle that’s notched some serious numbers. The band sold about a million tickets on its 2018 North American run, then topped that with 2.1 million tickets across 27 countries during the 2022-’23 stadium tour with Mötley Crüe. Last summer’s amphitheater dates with Bret Michaels, The Struts and Extreme wrapped on Aug. 31 in Virginia Beach, making the February shows at Caesars a natural follow-up.
The Colosseum’s 4,300-seat capacity offers something arenas can’t. Here, every seat matters, with sightlines and acoustics designed around a singular concert experience. Caesars Entertainment has promised a new production setup for the band, though as far as specifics go, fans will have to buy a ticket to find out.
Given the band’s track record, it’s safe to assume it’ll deliver. After all, Def Leppard has spent four decades figuring out how to meet audiences where they are, whether in a stadium in Denver or a theater in Las Vegas. This third residency round confirms what two sold-out runs already suggested: Las Vegas and Def Leppard were built for each other.
Caesars Palace, 8 p.m. Feb. 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26 and 28, starting at $110 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
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