Earlier this summer, with a little help from AI, Adele slipped into a Bavarian-style dirndl dress, cradled a very tall beer and held a giant soft pretzel aloft. “Not long now … Pack ma’s!” was the tagline, translating from Bavarian dialect as “Let’s do this!” Her groundbreaking, potentially record-busting Munich residency was only a few weeks off.
Her Adele in Munich spectacular is now set to begin on Friday, attracting fans from around the world to 10 shows during August at a custom-built pop-up stadium, while pointing a way forward for pop superstardom – a bold project that has sparked excitement and some controversy.
Adele’s AI-enhanced, tongue-in-cheek Instagram story situating her in a mocked-up Oktoberfest showed the multi-platinum, multi-Grammy-winning British singer embracing her long run in southern Germany – her first performances in continental Europe since 2016. “In Munich? That’s a bit random, but still fabulous!” was how she framed it on social media in January when the concerts were announced, calling it “a wonderful way to spend my summer and end this beautiful phase of my life and career”.
Adele is also still doing her Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace, which began in November 2022 and ends later this year. Both the Vegas and Munich residencies give her a high level of creative and logistical control compared with touring – a luxury option only available to entertainment’s biggest draws.
“Superstars with the kind of catalogue that have a towering amount of hits are able to set up shop in one spot and say to their fans, ‘Hey, I’m powerful and famous and popular enough that you will come to me,’” said Jason Lipshutz, senior director of music at US industry magazine Billboard. “It’s definitely a flex.”
