Las Vegas April Music Calendar: Bruno Mars at Allegiant, Festivals, and Sphere Residencies

^{Bruno Mars performs at the GRAMMY Awards in February. He will be performing two shows at Allegiant Stadium on April 10 and 11. (Photo: Chris Pizzello / Alamy)}

April is one of the better months to catch live music in Las Vegas before summer heat makes it impossible to spend time outside. Since March saw record-high temperatures in the 90s and 100s, the upper 70s and 80s for this month will be a well-needed cooldown to some. 

CinemaCon will land at Caesars Palace from April 13 -16, which should bring celebrities and film industry insiders to Vegas. Shortly after that, the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from April 18-22, expected to bring 50,000 or more to Sin City.

The residency calendar is relatively light this month, but there is plenty of news about performers returning for another round of limited engagements.  Two music festivals will bring folks from across the country into Vegas, and the month's biggest show features one of Vegas's most familiar headliners playing to crowds about 13 times larger than usual.

Las Vegas Residencies and Limited Engagements

The residency and limited engagement calendar is somewhat light this month, but two new acts have multiple shows. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, along with Cyndi Lauper, begin their first Las Vegas limited engagements at The Venetian and Caesars Palace, respectively.

• Illenium at The Sphere: April 2, 3, 4
• Alice Cooper & Criss Angel at Planet Hollywood: April 2, 3, 4
• The Eagles at The Sphere:  April 10, 11 
• Phish at The Sphere: April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30 
• Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at The Venetian: April 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 26
• Cheap Trick at The Venetian: April 17, 18
• B-52’s at The Venetian: April 22, 24, 25
• Cyndi Lauper at Caesars Palace: April 24, 25, 29 

Lookahead: Phish’s residency continues through May 1 and 2.

Bruno Mars Goes Big

Bruno Mars kicks off his national “The Romantic Tour” at Allegiant Stadium on April 10-11. This is a major shift for Bruno in Las Vegas, who typically performs at the 5,200-seat Dolby Theatre at Park MGM.

Allegiant Stadium holds about 65,000 fans, which is roughly equivalent to nearly two weeks of shows at Park MGM. Just last month, Luke Combs set an Allegiant Stadium attendance record in March with nearly 71,000 fans at his concert in late March. If both of Mars's concerts sell out, attendance would approach what he draws over nearly a month of residency dates and could give Combs' attendance record a run for its money.

It is usually better to see a musician in an intimate venue, which is part of what makes Las Vegas residencies and limited engagements so appealing.  But when artists perform at a massive stadium, it's a whole new level of production value than a small show could hope to offer.

Las Vegas Music Festivals

There are two very different music festivals this month. Beyond location and genre, one is purely about music while the other celebrates an entire lifestyle.

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend at the Orleans, April 9-12

Music is the centerpiece of the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, but there is much more for attendees. Activities include a car show, dance classes, burlesque bingo, live guitar showcases, pool parties, swimsuit contests, bowling, and more. People travel from all over the country and are both enthusiastic and deeply invested in the lifestyle.

After hearing how much fun this festival is, I attended last year and had a great time, even though I am not a fan of the music. 

You can get a feel for the experience just hanging out at the Orleans for a couple of hours during the event. You can see the packed schedule of bands and events at the Viva Las Vegas website.

Sick New World at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, April 25

Sick New World is a traditional music festival with performances throughout the day and night. Headliners include Korn and System of a Down.

Support acts span a wide range of heavy music, including Evanescence, AFI, Marilyn Manson, Mastodon, P.O.D., Cypress Hill, and more. The lineup features artists fans may follow today or remember from decades past. Visit Sick New World for the schedule and more info.

If you prefer smaller indoor concerts, several sideshows will take place around Las Vegas leading up to the festival.

Las Vegas Music News and Rumors

With Metallica now confirmed for a residency at the Sphere, older rumors are resurfacing. The latest involves a possible Pink residency in 2027.

Some rumors never go away entirely. It appears as though Justin Timberlake is in talks with MGM Resorts for a Park MGM residency. Anecdotally, this may be the 10th time this rumor has appeared since Monte Carlo became Park MGM in 2018.

Las Vegas residencies can also appear unexpectedly, like in the case of Jeezy’s Planet Hollywood run. The artist, whose real name is Jay Jenkins, says his 10-show engagement beginning May 1 will be a “Black Tie Experience” each night.

Billy Idol will return for his fourth Las Vegas engagement, but at a new property this time. His latest shows are scheduled for Fontainebleau on Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 2, 4-5. His previous runs were at Palms, The Cosmopolitan, and Mandalay Bay.

Several residencies were also extended in March:

• Backstreet Boys added three more shows at the Sphere from Aug. 27-29.
• Rod Stewart has six more shows at Caesars Palace on Aug. 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29.
• Earth, Wind & Fire return to The Venetian for shows on Oct. 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30, and 31.