The rock legend will bring the iconic run to a close next summer
Billy Joel is bringing his Madison Square Garden residency to a close. The unprecedented run, which launched in December 2013, will wrap up next July. The final performance will be Joel’s 104th of the residency and his 150th lifetime peformance at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Joel played his first show at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 1978.
“I’m kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did,” Joel said at conference Thursday at The Garden. “My team tells me that we could continue to sell tickets, but 10 years, 150 shows — all right already!”
“There’s only one thing that’s more New York than Billy Joel, and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated. Adams joined Joel and MSG Entertainment CEO James L. Dolan to announce the end of the residency. “Billy Joel’s franchise run has made history — not only for Madison Square Garden, but also for the music industry overall,” Dolan added.
Additionally, Billy announced the first of his final ten shows at The Garden on Thursday. The performance is set for Friday, October 20. Ticket pre-sale begins next Wednesday, June 7 at 10am local time HERE using the code: SOCIAL. General tickets go on sale Friday, June 9 at 10am.
According to Pollstar, Joel’s MSG residency has seen him perform for nearly 1.7 million people through 89 shows. The run has sold $207 million in tickets. By the time the final show rolls around, the residency will have grossed over $250 million.
Throughout his run at The Garden, Joel brought out several special guests to perform with him including Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, John Mellencamp, Foreigner’s Mick Jones and Lou Gramm, John Fogerty, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, and Aerosmith, among others.
Joel, 74, is currently on the road playing stadium shows alongside Stevie Nicks. The trek runs through December, with one re-scheduled show slated for next March. While his residency at The Garden is ending, a representative for Joel confirmed that he is not retiring.
