How Adele's Vegas Controversy Just Paid Off For Keith Urban

In November 2021, Adele delighted fans when she announced her very first Las Vegas residency. Titled "Weekends with Adele," the 33-year-old was scheduled to start the residency from January 21 until April 16, 2022. However, days before the residency was supposed to start, Adele tearfully announced on social media that the shows had to be postponed due to COVID-19 affecting production.

"I'm so sorry but my show ain't ready. We've tried absolutely everything that we can to put it together in time and for it to be good enough for you," the "Easy on Me" singer explained in an emotional video posted on Instagram. "But we've been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and COVID. Half my crew, half my team have been down with COVID and they still are. And it's been impossible to finish the show." Adele then admitted she was "gutted" about the decision and promised to reschedule the dates as soon as possible.

Though Adele cited COVID delays as the primary reason for the postponement, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports that she was actually "unhappy" with the overall setup and production of the residency and "butted heads" with the production designer Esmeralda Devlin over the direction of the show. The ongoing controversy has caused fans to speculate about when production will resume, but a new report suggests that it will be awhile before Adele makes her Vegas debut, and that Keith Urban will be one of the beneficiaries in this saga.

One's loss is another one's gain. Keith Urban is set to take over some of Adele's dates at Colosseum at Caesars Palace amidst controversy surrounding the "Rolling in The Deep" singer's production struggles surrounding her residency, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Urban will be filling four dates left open by Adele's postponed residency and adding five new dates to his own residency, "Keith Urban — Live Las Vegas." His additional dates at the Colosseum are March 25, 26 and 30, and April 1 and 2; both of the weekend dates were originally scheduled for Adele. "VEGAS !!!!! We're coming BACK to the @ColosseumatCP," Urban tweeted after the dates were finalized. "See you SO soon."

Urban's pickup comes after The Sun reported that Adele was unhappy with one of the sets presented to her by the production team, which involved her standing over a lake onstage — so unhappy she refused to take part in it. The Las Vegas Review Journal also reported that set pieces were loaded out of Caesars after the postponement announcement, indicating that work on the residency had stopped. However, Variety notes that Adele could potentially restart her residency in July at the earliest, pending any production delays or conflicts, and that fans have not been granted refunds for their tickets.