The Tour That Doesn’t Tour — The Lexington Line

When our favorite artists release a single, then drop an album and go on Zane Lowe, fans are waiting for one thing: the tour dates. But what happens if our favorite artists made us come to them instead of visiting our hometowns?

As years go by, it seems that artists have slowly started doing more residencies. Are these shows a new addition to the performing world, or have they always been around and we didn’t notice?

A residency is when an artist performs multiple shows at the same venue or in the same city for an extended period, rather than traveling from city to city as on a traditional tour.

In 2026, Harry Styles is performing 30 shows at Madison Square Garden as part of his “Together, Together” tour, making New York his only U.S. stop. He is doubling his previous residency at Madison Square Garden from his 2022 tour, “Love on Tour”.

Before Madison Square Garden, there was Las Vegas. Pianist and musician Liberace made his residency debut in 1944, followed by the King, Elvis Presley, who performed not one but two shows a day for 7 years, for a total of 636 sold-out shows at the International Hotel, now known as Westgate Resorts. In the years that followed, Vegas became the residency home of performers like Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Adele, and more.

Puerto Rican Singer Bad Bunny also held a residency to promote his album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” in his home country of Puerto Rico in 2025, before kicking off the Tour internationally. He performed 31 shows, with the first 9 reserved solely for the residents of Puerto Rico. Unlike a traditional Vegas residency, Bad Bunny's shows turned the concept into a celebration of his roots and culture. For non-Puerto Rican fans, the trip was about more than seeing Bad Bunny. It meant experiencing Puerto Rico, and what it has to offer— from meeting locals to exploring San Juan and eating at local restaurants. In this case, the residency turns the destination itself into part of the concert experience.

Residencies may not replace traditional tours, but they are certainly changing the way we experience live music. From Las Vegas to Puerto Rico to Madison Square Garden, artists are giving fans a reason to travel to them instead of the other way around. A concert becomes more than a simple 2 hours of live music. It can be a reason to explore a new place, experience a different culture, and make the trip part of the memory. Maybe the future of seeing our favorite artists isn’t always waiting for them to come to us. Maybe, sometimes, we go to them.

If your favorite artist announced a residency, would you travel to see them? Leave a comment below.