‘Supernatural’ Santana Resumes Las Vegas Residency After Stage Collapse

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana resumes his Las Vegas residency at Mandalay Bay on Wednesday. It marks his first appearance in the city since collapsing in the middle of a show in Michigan on July 5.

His concert at Pine Knob Music Theatre ended on a frightening note about an hour in, when someone on stage reportedly asked the crowd to pray for the original Woodstock star because of a “serious medical” issue. The 74-year-old then waved as he was wheeled away on a stretcher. Crew members tried blocking the crowd’s view with a black sheet.

Fortunately, Santana suffered only from heat exhaustion and dehydration. He was treated and released from the nearby McLaren Clarkston Emergency Center later that night.

Out of caution, the guitar legend rescheduled some of the remaining shows on his North American tour with Earth, Wind, and Fire. However, he felt well enough to perform its three final shows beginning on Aug. 24, 2022, at the Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta, Ga.

Continuing the Legacy

Santana is scheduled to perform additional Mandalay Bay shows on Sept. 16, 17, 18, 21, 24 and 25. Tickets are available at houseofblues.com/lasvegas/santana.

Santana was also awarded the Icon Award by Clark County Commission Vice Chairman Justin Jones earlier this year. The award has only been given out once before to Caesars Entertainment, paying tribute to the High Roller observation wheel.

“He moved here, he just doesn’t come perform here,” Jones said of Santana. “Over the last decade he’s been a tremendous resource to our community.”

More Serious Health Scare

Santana suffered a more serious health scare in December 2021 when he was rushed into emergency heart surgery to clear an arterial blockage.

It was 2:30 in the morning, and I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in January 2022.  “I think it was 94% blockage in one artery. We corrected it … but  they had to go in there with like a cord to keep making things flow.”

This forced the cancellation of Santana’s Mandalay Bay residency through the end of last year. However, confounding expectations, he was back on stage by the end of January 2022.

“The procedure that I had is very, very serious, and it sucked a lot of energy from me,” he told the R-J. “I wouldn’t have been able to play (as long as) that I’m used to, to present my music to people. I would get winded really, really quick. It’s a procedure that requires a lot of time. The body just doesn’t like it when somebody goes in there.

“But, fortunately, I have recuperated.”