Adele calls postponed Vegas residency 'worst moment in my career,' but 'there was just no soul in it'

Adele's initial devastation surrounding her postponed Las Vegas residency is water under the bridge.

A day before her residency was scheduled to begin at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in January, the Grammy winner shared a tearful video announcing that the shows would need to be postponed. In a cover interview with Elle published Monday, Adele said she "went into hiding" after she called off the dates, but reiterated that she has no regrets about the decision.

"It was the worst moment in my career, by far," Adele said. "By far. I was so excited about those shows. It was devastating." The authenticity she craved, however, was just not there. "There was just no soul in it," Adele continued. "The stage setup wasn't right. It was very disconnected from me and my band, and it lacked intimacy. And maybe I tried too hard to give it those things in such a controlled environment."

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Adele

The realization came during a dress rehearsal the night before she announced the cancellation: A frustrated Adele cut the mic and sang a cappella to a mostly empty Colosseum. "This would be the best part of the show," she said of that intimacy. "For me, and for you. This is what I want." With a 15,700-square-foot Vegas stage and all its glitzy special effects, she said, "None of that has that." She soon "went into hiding."

"The first couple of months was really, really hard," Adele said. "I was embarrassed. But it actually made my confidence in myself grow, because it was a very brave thing to do. And I don't think many people would have done what I did. I'm very proud of myself for standing by my artistic needs." When she inevitably returned to the stage, including at the BRIT Awards, "I nearly cried at the end of my performance," Adele said.

"It felt strange receiving so much love when I'd let people down," she added.

Last month, Adele shared the rescheduled dates of the residency: Now 32 shows instead of the original 24, Weekends with Adele will begin Nov. 18 and run until March 25, 2023. "I'm going to give you the absolute best of me," Adele promised in an Instagram post. "Words can't explain how ecstatic I am to finally be able to announce these rescheduled shows."

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