Rolling in the dough: The wild numbers behind Adele’s postponed residency

Editor’s Note: This story was published before Adele postponed her residency.

Numbers play an integral role in the Adele brand.

The singer’s latest album, “30,” follows her previous efforts, “25,” “21” and “19,” all named after the age at which she started writing them.

Here’s another number for you: $50 million. That’s the amount fans shelled out, as estimated by Billboard, on Dec. 8 when tickets for her “Weekends With Adele” went on sale.

Even with the recent flood of high-profile residencies on the Strip, nothing in recent memory quite compares to this one, which will see the megastar performing in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Friday and Saturday nights through April 16. (The one exception is Feb. 18-19, when Van Morrison has the theater booked.)

The demand was so great, tickets were never offered to the general public. Only after registering with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program were potential buyers invited to enter a virtual queue where most of them got their first look at ticket prices. And, boy, were they a doozy.

Honestly, for some of these prices, “Weekends With Adele” should grant you access to an actual weekend with Adele. Brunch. Maybe a spa day. Binge some “Yellowjackets.” Tag team Wordle. Whatever you want, within reason. It’s your weekend!

Anyway, in honor of those shows, which kick off at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, here’s a by-the-numbers look at “Weekends With Adele.”

24: Number of shows.

4,300: Number of seats in the Colosseum.

0: Number of those seats Adele reportedly allowed Caesars Entertainment to hold back for high rollers and other VIPs.

145: Distance in feet from the stage to the farthest seat.

25.2: That distance in Adeles. (She’s said to be 5-foot-9.)

$110: Approximate face value, including fees, of the elusive “cheap seats” in the very back of the Colosseum.

$400: Approximate face value, including fees, of seats in the front of the second mezzanine (aka the upper deck).

$575: Approximate face value, including fees, of seats in the first mezzanine.

$865: Approximate face value, including fees, of seats in the front orchestra section.

$6,160: Approximate face value, including fees, of the best seats in the very front rows, as sold through Ticketmaster’s platinum seating program.

79: Number of eight-hour days you’d have to work at Nevada’s minimum wage to earn that much money, before taxes.

$3,500: Median amount Americans have in savings, per multiple reports.

$5,111: Average monthly expenses of an American household in 2021, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

$797.79: Cost, which outraged British fans, of the most expensive ticket to Adele’s July 1 and 2 concerts in London’s Hyde Park, her only other shows scheduled this year. (Those tickets include a welcome glass of sparkling wine, free premium food offerings and drinks, a dedicated VIP entrance, early admission, exclusive restroom facilities and VIP hosts.)

27-32: Percentage of each “Weekends With Adele” ticket price Ticketmaster added in fees.*

$600,000: Approximate revenue each show generated in fees.*

$2.2 million: Average ticket sales per show.*

$654,000: Average ticket sales per show of Celine Dion’s “Celine” in the Colosseum from 2011-19.*

$1.5 million: Average ticket sales per show of Lady Gaga’s “Enigma” at the Park Theater in 2019.*

$129.51: Cost, including fees, of the top-priced VIP ticket to “Legends in Concert.” When it returns Feb. 2, the show will feature Janae Longo as Adele, in addition to tribute artists appearing as Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and Cher, plus the iconic Frank Marino as Joan Rivers.

$12.08: Cost, including tax, of a sixer of Miller High Life and some improperly powered reading glasses, both of which should further blur the line between illusion and reality at that tribute show.

$56.62: Cost, in today’s dollars, of a ticket to see The Rat Pack perform at the Sands in 1960. In a sign of just how much The Strip has changed over the years, the $5.95 admission also included dinner.

*as estimated by Billboard

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.