Adele kicks off Las Vegas residency in tears, says postponing it was 'the best decision' she ever made

Emlyn Travis
·3 min read

Adele was rolling in the deep apologies during the opening night of her Las Vegas residency.

The "Easy on Me" singer made her long-awaited concert debut at Caesars Palace on Friday evening, during which she took a moment to tearfully apologize to attendees for abruptly postponing the spectacle, titled Weekends With Adele, just one day before its original run back in January.

"I'm truly sorry for any inconvenience and any disappointment that I've caused, but we're here tonight and together," she said, per Variety. However, she noted that delaying the shows was "the best decision I ever made."

Adele also took a moment to thank Caesars Palace for its steadfast support after hearsay surrounding her involvement, potential venue changes, and more swirled following her surprise rescheduling. Back in January, Adele cited "delivery delays and COVID" as the reason for putting the concert series on pause.

"There has been a lot of s--- written about me since I canceled those shows. I tell you — 90 percent of it is absolutely, completely made-up," she said in video footage from the event shared on Twitter. "There's been rumors that I've moved hotels and that I was moving theaters and all this, and never once did they ask any questions. They've been amazing. So thank you for having me, Caesars. I'm so honored to be playing here. I really, really am."

"I had no idea when I wrote [her 2011 album] 21 that my life would end up becoming what it is. And there are so many amazing things to it as well, and some that aren't amazing, and I'll be honest about that," she continued, before laughing and adding, "I'm sure you know that from me anyway. That's why I f--- off for six years all the time."

Throughout the evening, Adele regaled the audience with her hits, including "Set Fire to the Rain," "Hello," "I Drink Wine," "Rolling in the Deep," and her sultry James Bond theme, "Skyfall." She also walked through the crowd belting her 2015 hit "When We Were Young," and gave her boyfriend Rich Paul a kiss.

The night before the event, Adele tweeted that she was feeling "highly emotional" and "incredibly nervous" about it. Weekends With Adele, which added eight additional performances to its run, marks the singer's first onstage appearance since her Hyde Park concert back in July.

"I feel a million miles away from home. I can't stop thinking about when I was little and saw Tom Jones in Mars Attacks and thought, 'Blimey, how did he get from Wales to Las Vegas!?'" Adele joked. "I always get scared before shows, and I take it as a good sign because it means I care and means I just want to do a good job. Maybe it's because I didn't start when I was supposed to. Maybe it's because it's opening night."

She concluded, "Maybe it's because Hyde Park went so great, maybe it's because I love the show — I don't know. But it's safe to say I've never been more nervous before a show in my career, but at the same time I wish today was tomorrow! I can't wait to see you out there."

Adele recently scored seven Grammy nominations for her latest album, 30. She will perform Friday and Saturday nights at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace through March 25, 2023.

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