How residencies like Harry Styles’ took over the music industry
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Harry Styles performing at Madison Square Garden in New York on Aug 26.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
Ben Sisario
With Harry Styles taking the stage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Aug 26 for the first of 30 performances in his residency there, it will be the latest and perhaps most ambitious example of the concert industry’s favourite trend: putting on more shows in fewer places.
In 2025, Bad Bunny held a 31-date residency in Puerto Rico, brimming with local pride. In 2024, Billy Joel completed a 10-year run at the Garden, selling out 104 nights. In 2026, Jay-Z is celebrating landmark albums with stadium shows in New York, London, Paris and Los Angeles. And in Las Vegas, the cutting-edge tech of the Sphere venue has upped the multimedia ante for concerts everywhere.
