SPHERE 2026: Beyond the Stadiums
Having become the first solo artist and country act to create music in a deeper dimension at Vegas’ Sphere, Kenny Chesney came away from his high energy residency with a richer sense of his songs. Maybe it was the immersive visuals or the dialed-in sonics that really teased out the instruments and words. Perhaps it was the looks on the faces of No Shoes Nation as they took in the experience. Or maybe it was just the amount of engagement and singing along from a different place that struck the man sandwiched between Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and Metallica on Pollstar’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Millennium.
When it came time to think about his 2026 residency at Sphere, the East Tennessee songwriter and brand new Country Music Hall of Fame inductee realized Sphere’s configuration allowed him to perform songs he couldn’t necessarily do in his massive stadium shows. Even more than the freedom to cull from his massive catalogue of 36 Country Airplay No. 1s and 99 charting singles, he recognized the intimacy the venue’s configuration provided.
“Even though it’s a pretty big room and there are a lot of people in there,” Chesney explains, “with the way it’s constructed, everyone is so close, you can do things that are a lot slower, that really want to be listened to. We pulled out some songs last year we don’t do very often, and people really responded, so when the band and I got back together to start talking about what we might do this year, a lot of songs that we talked about, we haven’t done in a long time.
“We’re having a great time trying things out, finding our way inside them,” he continues. “We’re playing more things right now than we’ll actually be able to do, but I think we’re gonna surprise some people… because some of these songs we’ve never played, and a few we’ve not played in years. But I realized we can give people the space to really listen, and that makes all these songs so much better. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up with 30, 40% new material; maybe more.”
Having planted No Shoes Nation’s flag under a giant technicolor dome last year, the Pollstar Awards Residency of the Year nominated event created new ways for people to experience the songs they’ve lived their lives inside. Whether an immersive “Welcome To The Fishbowl” with its all-consuming social media reality, or the sweeping, night skies over the ocean and tropical coast “One Lonely Island,” Chesney’s shows opened up what these songs contained – and created a space via the Guitars, Tiki Bars and A Whole Lotta Love Experience, pools across Vegas to meet up and beyond, to have a whole different way of coming together.
With Heart Life Music, the book chronicling his journey through music, topping the New York Times Bestseller Hardcover Nonfiction and Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction lists, the time reflecting on the songs that brought him to this moment were very much front and center. As teased in the graphics at the end of his final weekend – “See You Next Summer” – Kenny Chesney’s taking his shake-off-your-troubles songs back to Sphere for one more round of very special shows.
Kenny Chesney Live at Sphere Las Vegas
Tickets on sale now via KennyChesney.com
June 19, 2026
June 20, 2026
June 24, 2026
June 26, 2026
June 27, 2026
When it came time to think about his 2026 residency at Sphere, the East Tennessee songwriter and brand new Country Music Hall of Fame inductee realized Sphere’s configuration allowed him to perform songs he couldn’t necessarily do in his massive stadium shows. Even more than the freedom to cull from his massive catalogue of 36 Country Airplay No. 1s and 99 charting singles, he recognized the intimacy the venue’s configuration provided.
“Even though it’s a pretty big room and there are a lot of people in there,” Chesney explains, “with the way it’s constructed, everyone is so close, you can do things that are a lot slower, that really want to be listened to. We pulled out some songs last year we don’t do very often, and people really responded, so when the band and I got back together to start talking about what we might do this year, a lot of songs that we talked about, we haven’t done in a long time.
“We’re having a great time trying things out, finding our way inside them,” he continues. “We’re playing more things right now than we’ll actually be able to do, but I think we’re gonna surprise some people… because some of these songs we’ve never played, and a few we’ve not played in years. But I realized we can give people the space to really listen, and that makes all these songs so much better. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up with 30, 40% new material; maybe more.”
Having planted No Shoes Nation’s flag under a giant technicolor dome last year, the Pollstar Awards Residency of the Year nominated event created new ways for people to experience the songs they’ve lived their lives inside. Whether an immersive “Welcome To The Fishbowl” with its all-consuming social media reality, or the sweeping, night skies over the ocean and tropical coast “One Lonely Island,” Chesney’s shows opened up what these songs contained – and created a space via the Guitars, Tiki Bars and A Whole Lotta Love Experience, pools across Vegas to meet up and beyond, to have a whole different way of coming together.
With Heart Life Music, the book chronicling his journey through music, topping the New York Times Bestseller Hardcover Nonfiction and Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction lists, the time reflecting on the songs that brought him to this moment were very much front and center. As teased in the graphics at the end of his final weekend – “See You Next Summer” – Kenny Chesney’s taking his shake-off-your-troubles songs back to Sphere for one more round of very special shows.
Kenny Chesney Live at Sphere Las Vegas
Tickets on sale now via KennyChesney.com
June 19, 2026
June 20, 2026
June 24, 2026
June 26, 2026
June 27, 2026