This summer, Adele is taking her music to a whole new level, embarking on a groundbreaking residency in Munich. The "Hello" singer has set up shop in a custom-built pop-up stadium, hosting 10 shows throughout August and welcoming fans from across the globe. This bold project has sparked both excitement and controversy, offering a potential glimpse into the future of pop superstardom.
Back in January, Adele announced her Munich concerts, playfully describing it as "a bit random" but "fabulous," a way to spend her summer and "end this beautiful phase" of her career. The residency comes on the heels of her successful Las Vegas run at Caesars Palace, which began last November and is scheduled to conclude later this year.
These residencies, both in Vegas and Munich, allow Adele a high degree of creative and logistical control, a luxury afforded only to entertainment's biggest names. As Jason Lipshutz, senior director of music at Billboard, points out, "Superstars with a catalogue of hits are able to set up shop and say to their fans, 'Hey, I'm powerful and famous and popular enough that you will come to me.'"
The venue for Adele's Munich residency is a sprawling 400,000 square metre space, comparable to a one-woman music festival. It features an amphitheatre for the performances, a "Bavarian beer garden," a pub inspired by her early gig spot in Kilburn, London, and a bar named "I Drink Wine" after one of her recent hits.
Construction began earlier this year, with 700 people working to Adele's team's specifications. In July, she shared photos of herself inspecting the site in a high-vis vest, excitedly calling it "all a bit bloody exciting."
The venue will hold a maximum of 75,000 fans per show, with a 93-metre catwalk and a 200-metre semicircular walkway leading to a second stage. This allows Adele to get as close as possible to her fans, showcasing her blend of ballad-belting diva and down-to-earth Londoner.
Adele's manager, Jonathan Dickins, describes the atmosphere in Munich as "cosy," but notes that this residency will be "the total opposite" of her intimate Vegas shows, with a different setlist, though the big hits will surely be included.
The production team boasts an impressive 220 x 30-metre backdrop screen, which may even make it into the Guinness World Records for its size. Costing around â¬40 million (£34 million), the screen will not only provide a stunning visual spectacle but also block noise from the nearby autobahn.
While the Bavarian weather can be unpredictable, the production team has taken precautions: asphalt has been laid across the fairgrounds to prevent a mudbath if it rains, ensuring both Adele and her audience stay dry.
Veteran concert promoter Marek Lieberberg estimates the total production costs for the residency at hundreds of millions of euros, calling it "the biggest project in my 50 years in the music business."
During her four-week stint in Munich, Adele will be joined by her family, who will be staying in a sprawling suite in the city's old town, complete with four bedrooms, six bathrooms, four sitting rooms, and a dedicated butler.
While residencies are common in the US, with stars like Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Billy Joel, and Harry Styles holding court in Las Vegas and New York respectively, they are still a relatively new concept in continental Europe.
Lipshutz believes that Adele's Munich residency is not revolutionary but rather part of a post-pandemic trend. "She wants to replicate a feeling more than just a performance among her fans, and give them an experience," he explains. "This is a whole event to soak up and really enjoy."
These residencies offer fans a unique opportunity to combine a mini-holiday with their favourite artist's performance, while also providing a financial boost to the host city. Munich's top economic official, Clemens Baumgärtner, estimates that the city will make â¬566 million from Adele's residency thanks to hospitality revenues and the rent from the fairgrounds, all without any contribution to the production costs.
With 95% of tickets already sold, organisers are offering "Lucky Dip" tickets for â¬35, including fees, in a last-minute discount scheme. This is less than half the price of the cheapest seats during the initial sales.
While some fans have criticised the discounted prices as unfair to those who paid more earlier, Lipshutz believes that the sheer size of the venue makes it understandable that tickets are still available. "Selling out a residency at an enormous venue is always going to be tricky for an artist of any stature," he says.
Adele's residency has also highlighted the environmental impact of large-scale music events. Jan Stremmel, a journalist with the Munich daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, observes that "gig tripping" is on the rise, with fans travelling from far and wide to see their idols. "Now fans are increasingly going to where there idols are, even if it's on the other end of the planet," he says.
The trip to Munich is likely to be the last chance for many fans to see Adele perform for some time. She recently announced a "big break" from music after the conclusion of her Las Vegas residency in November. "My tank is quite empty from being on stage every weekend in Las Vegas," she explained. "I don't have any plans for new music, at all ⦠I think I want to do other creative things just for a little while."
Whether this marks the end of her musical journey or simply a temporary pause, Adele's bold venture into Munich promises to be a memorable event, a testament to her enduring popularity and a glimpse into the future of pop music.
