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AEG Presents/Concerts West celebrate 20 years in Vegas
The promoters have opened some of the Strip's most successful live entertainment venues and organised ground-breaking residencies
By Lisa Henderson on 24 Mar 2023
Celine Dion performing at The Colosseum, Las Vegas
AEG Presents and its subsidiary Concerts West are marking 20 years of events and residencies in Las Vegas, US.
Two decades ago, AEG Presents and Concerts West (founded by Tom Hulett in 1967) launched the first-ever modern-day residency with superstar Celine Dion, whose 16-year run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace remains the most successful Las Vegas residency of all time.
Dion performed 1,141 shows for over 4.5 million fans, paving the way for artists including Elton John, Cher, Bette Midler, Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Reba and Brooks & Dunn and Rod Stewart.
Concerts West booked and operated The Colosseum from 2003 to 2019, and welcomed over 10.3 million fans to the venue which exceeded $1.4 billion in ticket revenue.
In 2009, the promoter launched the first-ever rock ‘n’ roll residency in Las Vegas with Santana at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, for 71 performances at the venue through 2011.
In the decade that followed, they welcomed a number of extended rock engagements to the legendary venue, including Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe, before becoming the exclusive booker and operator of the rebranded Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (established Sept. 2021).
In 2019, AEG Presents extended the residency model at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, with marquee artists such as Lionel Richie, Bryan Adams and Sebastian Maniscalco helping to put the venue on Billboard’s annual list of highest-grossing venues in the world in its category.
“We’re so grateful to have been such a part of the long history of entertainment in this remarkable city”
In 2021, in a joint development with Resorts World Las Vegas, Concerts West/AEG Presents became the exclusive booker and operator of the Resorts World Theatre, the newest and most technologically advanced venue on the Las Vegas Strip. It has since launched the residencies of Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and David Blaine.
In 2022, Resorts World Theatre was named the highest-grossing venue in the world for a capacity of 5,000 or less in Billboard’s year-end boxscore charts.
In addition to opening these venues, Concerts West/AEG Presents has also consistently booked performances at several other popular Las Vegas Strip venues, including properties such as Wynn Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Park MGM/ Dolby Live, Venetian Las Vegas, the Michelob ULTRA Arena, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, The Beach at Mandalay Bay and others.
“We’re so grateful to have been such a part of the long history of entertainment in this remarkable city,” says John Meglen, president and co-CEO of Concerts West. “We’re thankful to all of the artists who have trusted us to help them build such an important part of their performing careers, and we are proud of all of our employees who have helped us achieve this…many of them from the very first day, twenty years ago.”
In celebration of their 20th anniversary in Vegas, entertainment fans will have the opportunity to enter to win a Grand Prize to win a pair of tickets to twenty shows playing now through April 1, 2024. That includes concerts from the likes of Katy Perry, Brad Paisley, Sabrina Carpenter, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan.
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