VEGAS MUSIC NEWS: Backstreets’ New Sphere’s Eve, Richard Marx, Koe Wetzel & Possible New Strip Concert Venue

Backstreet Boys will ring in 2027 as they did 2026 —  by playing the Sphere. The dates will be Dec. 31 and Jan. 1-2.

The added shows will bring the Backstreets’ Sphere tally to 60 — including one during this November’s F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. That’s only 12 concerts behind the Eagles. The former boy band’s “Into The Millennium” tour, which marked the first time a pop act headlined the Sphere, opened there in July 2025.

Tickets for the NYE dates go on sale at Ticketmaster.com at 10 a.m. PT on Aug. 21, with a fan club presale beginning Aug. 18 and an artist presale beginning Aug. 19. Fans can sign up for the presale until Aug. 17 at this link.

Vibee — the company handling bundled hotel and concert experiences for the residency — is offering travel packages that pair guaranteed seats inside Sphere with accommodations at the Venetian. Sales for all packages open at 10 a.m. PT Aug. 12.

Marx and Recreation

Richard Marx will headline the Pearl at the Palms on Oct. 30. The oft-maligned pop singer is the only male artist to have his first seven singles land in Billboard’s Top 5, and one of just two musicians — alongside Michael Jackson — to write No. 1 hits in four different decades.

Tickets start at $49, with presales underway before Friday’s general on-sale at 10 a.m. PT Friday (Aug. 14) at AXS.com.

Koe Opens the Chutes at Planet Hollywood

Country singer Koe Wetzel will perform at PH Live at Planet Hollywood on Dec. 11, adding a new entertainment option during the National Finals Rodeo. The stop is part of his “Night Champion” world tour.  The Texas native recently played to over 50,000 fans at the Houston Rodeo. Presales run throughout the week, with general tickets available 10 a.m. PT Friday, Aug. 14 via Ticketmaster.

Guitar Store May Boast Secret Stage

We skipped the news last week about the imminent opening of a Gibson Garage in Las Vegas because it was announced only as a guitar shop. However, Gibson’s announcement stated that the store would occupy 9,000 square feet in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, whereas the company’s building permit filing was approved for 22,000 square feet.

While nothing has been corporately confirmed, this suggests that a 13,000 square-foot performance just might be in the offing. If so, similar to the stage in back of McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, it could offer intimate performances from guitarists with major bands in town for tour stops — especially guitarists with Gibson endorsement deals.

Gibson Garage is set to open sometime next year.