Adele cancels shows in Las Vegas residency 24 hours before first concert

Adele has canceled her Las Vegas residency, less than 24 hours before her first show was scheduled to take place. 

The British superstar took to social media last night to announce the devastating blow, tearfully apologizing to fans for the letdown in a self-recorded video. 

The 33-year-old explained that Weekends with Adele, which was supposed to kick off tonight at Caesers Palace' iconic Colosseum in Las Vegas, has officially been postponed due to Covid-related delays. 

The glitzy residency was to mark the Grammy-award-winner's return to live concerts after a nearly six-year hiatus, as well as her first chance to perform the new material from the Adele 30 album to her legion of adoring fans. 

The Easy on Me singer delivered the heartbreaking news to her followers on Instagram and Twitter last night, in what appears to be an unscripted message. 

"I'm so sorry, but my show ain't ready," she said at the beginning of the video. "We've tried absolutely everything that we can to put it together in time and for it to be good enough for you." 

Unfortunately, these efforts were simply not enough to safeguard the show from the impact of the ongoing pandemic. The talented musician confessed that the residency has been "absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and Covid," adding that, "half my crew, half my team are down with Covid." 

"It's been impossible to finish the show," she went on. "I can't give you what I have right now. I'm gutted. I'm sorry it's so last minute." 

The crushing announcement was posted at 11 pm (GMT), giving ticketholders a mere 24-hour notice of the cancellation. 

"We've been awake for over 30 hours now trying to figure it out, and we've run out of time," she said. "I'm so upset and I'm really embarrassed and I'm so sorry to everyone who's traveled again. I'm really, really sorry." 

Adele concluded the video by promising to reschedule the dates and reiterating her apologies, before tearfully switching off the camera. 

The public's response to the announcement has been mixed, with some fans expressing their understanding of the singer's dilemma, and others venting their frustration over the last-minute nature of the update. 

Ticketholders of the first show were particularly dismayed by the news, as many had already arrived or begun traveling to the Nevada capital for the exciting evening. 

"Why wait so last min to announce? I am on the plane to Vegas RN w/ my hotel booked for tomorrow's opening night. You must've known the show wasn't ready yesterday. Yes, covid, but u can cancel things 3 days b4. It's cruel to wait 26 hrs until 1st show. Wasted and hotel money!!" one frustrated person replied to the announcement on Twitter. 

"You have people who traveled to Vegas for your show! They’ve spent thousands of dollars to come see you and this is how you treat them? This is absolutely unacceptable to do to people who spend their hard earned money to see you!" another unimpressed follower tweeted. 

Adele was expected to make an insane amount of money during her Las Vegas residency, with each show estimated to rake in a whopping $679,500 (£500,000). It has yet to be confirmed when the concert series will be ready to go ahead, but for now, it looks like disappointed ticketholders will just have to sit tight.