If you ever think you’re a fan of any celebrity, just know you’re not as big a fan of them as Adele is of Celine Dion. Adele loves Celine so much that she literally has a piece of her chewed gum framed and hanging on her wall.
Back in 2021, when Adele released her then-record-breaking album 30, fans were taken aback by just how personal it was—even by Adele’s standards. The album touched on her divorce and self-reinvention, and included Easy On Me, which was dedicated to her son, making it clear that family and stability were priorities for her moving forward. A stadium tour was out of the question, as she preferred to stay close to Los Angeles to be actively involved in her son’s day-to-day life. Instead, Adele opted for a Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for a show titled Weekends with Adele, the same venue Celine Dion made iconic during her twin runs from 2003 to 2007, and 2011 to 2019.
Adele has now been performing for crowds of 4,000 adoring fans for two years, sharing her fair share of emotional moments that have gone viral. But no moment shook her to the core like this past weekend when she looked to the front row and saw one of her biggest influences, Celine Dion, there to watch her perform a medley of her greatest hits. Adele approached Celine Dion and embraced her, both bursting into tears as Adele performed When We Were Young, overwhelmed with emotion. The fans joined in on the poignant moment, and when Celine Dion stood up to thank them, they all gave her a standing ovation.
Adele’s approach to her Vegas residency has been rather unorthodox. While Vegas residencies have long been associated with the late careers of artists whose best work is behind them — often resulting in performances that are merely bare minimum — Adele has chosen to grow with her audience and the show. Some weeks, she’s paying tribute to her best friend and photographer Raven B. Varona’s mother, who had just recently passed away, while other weeks she’s playing card games with members of the audience. It almost seems like Adele is channeling her inner Deborah Vance from Max’s critical darling show Hacks.
Adele took to Instagram to explain in further detail just how much that Celine Dion moment meant to her. She referred to The Colosseum as Celine Dion’s room and shared that she keeps a picture of Celine Dion by the stage, which she always touches before she goes on. Celine Dion’s presence took her by surprise, and Adele said, “Words will never sum up what you mean to me.”
The residency is scheduled to end on November 23, 2024, so the surprise was perfectly timed. Over 100,000 fans have seen Adele perform live in the two years she’s been in Las Vegas. Hopefully, she will take time to rejuvenate and come back with an even better album. And since her son will be a little older, perhaps that might mean she’ll consider doing more venues. One can only hope.