The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is a purpose-built concert theater on the Las Vegas Strip that redefined what a residency show could look like. It opened on March 25, 2003, as a home base for Celine Dion’s blockbuster “A New Day…” residency, and its circular, Rome-inspired architecture and massive proscenium stage set a new bar for Vegas showrooms.
Built by the Perini Building Company at a cost of about $108 million, the venue was the most expensive entertainment theater in Las Vegas at the time it opened, surpassing even the Bellagio’s O Theater. More than two decades later, it remains one of the most sought-after stages in live music, having hosted artists from Elton John and Cher to Adele, Kelly Clarkson, and Jennifer Lopez.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Type: Purpose-built residency theater
- Opened: March 25, 2003
- Capacity: About 4,100
- Construction cost: About $108 million
- Stage size: About 22,450 sq ft
- Famous for: Celine Dion’s 717-show residency and Elton John’s two residencies (444 shows combined)
A Stage Built for Spectacle
The Colosseum’s circular design draws directly on ancient Rome, with a rotunda rising about 120 feet above the floor and a diameter of roughly 256 feet. Its proscenium arch stands 45 feet tall and 120 feet wide, backed by a massive LED screen and ten motorized stage lifts covering most of the performance surface, giving productions room for elaborate staging that few other theaters can match.
Despite its size, the room was engineered for intimacy, with the farthest seat only about 120 feet from the stage and roughly 200 acoustic panels tuned to manage sound in a venue built for arena-scale production values.
Home to Vegas’ Biggest Residencies
Celine Dion’s original residency ran from 2003 to 2007 and became the template for the modern Las Vegas residency model, later followed by Elton John, Cher, Rod Stewart, and more. In the 2020s, the venue kept its marquee status by hosting Adele’s “Weekends with Adele” from 2022 to 2024, followed by residencies from Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Lopez.
A $15 million renovation in 2019 upgraded the sound system, lighting rig, and video wall, and added an automated lift seating system that lets the venue reconfigure between VIP banquette seating and general admission, giving future productions more staging flexibility while preserving the room’s signature intimate feel.
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The Colosseum at Caesars Palace FAQs
When did The Colosseum at Caesars Palace open?
It opened on March 25, 2003, built specifically for Celine Dion’s Las Vegas residency.
How many people does The Colosseum hold?
The venue seats about 4,100 guests.
Which artists have had residencies at The Colosseum?
Celine Dion, Elton John, Cher, Rod Stewart, Adele, Kelly Clarkson, and Jennifer Lopez are among the artists who have held residencies there.
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Photo: Forest & Kim Starr / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.