Billy Joel is bringing his Madison Square Garden residency to a close. Joel, who played his first show at the iconic New York venue in 1978, announced the concert series in December 2013 and kicked off the program the following month. The franchise will end in July 2024 with Joel’s 104th concert of the series and 150th lifetime performance at Madison Square Garden, according to The New York Times.
“I’m kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did,” Joel said in a press release. He continued: “My team tells me that we could continue to sell tickets, but 10 years, 150 shows—all right already! I do remember the first time we played Madison Square Garden, it was the pinnacle of my career. I thought, ‘My God, I’m headlining Madison Square Garden.’ Everybody in the world knows when you play the Garden, it’s not just New York. To our audience, I want to thank them for coming to our shows for this long. It’s hard to end, even at 150 lifetime shows. I just want to thank everyone for the wonderful thing that's happened here.”
Joel, Mayor Eric Adams of New York, and MSG Entertainment CEO James L. Dolan announced the end of the residency at a press conference today. “There’s only one thing that’s more New York than Billy Joel—and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” Mayor Adams said.
Billy Joel has been a consistent presence at Madison Square Garden since he began his residency, pausing for only 18 months during the pandemic. According to Billboard, the residency has sold over 1.6 million tickets and grossed over $200 million. Over the years, Joel has brought out numerous guests during his shows, such as Bruce Springsteen, Olivia Rodrigo, John Mellencamp, and Jimmy Fallon.
The New York Times notes, via Billy Joel’s representative, that, despite the residency’s conclusion, the musician is not retiring.
