Blake Shelton Explains Absence From Gwen Stefani's Las Vegas Residency Opening

Blake Shelton addressed his absence from the opening night of Gwen Stefani and No Doubt's Las Vegas residency at the Sphere. The singer spoke during his own concert at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, the same evening that Stefani launched the first of 18 shows at the Sphere.

Shelton told the audience that his wife was performing at the other venue. He asked what kind of manager would book the same nights every single night and suggested that his manager was responsible. A representative for Shelton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The country singer, 49, kicked off an eight-show run titled "Blake Shelton: Live in Las Vegas" on the same night that Stefani, 56, began her residency. Shelton had acknowledged the overlap during an interview published in January. He said at the time that he expected some trash talking between them over the competing shows.

Shelton noted there is a difference between selling out the Sphere and selling out Caesars Palace. He joked that the competition was not very friendly and described it as absolute ass-kicking. The pair's residencies come after rumors of a divorce that began when they released their breakup duet "Hangin' On" in March 2025.

" Shelton addressed the rumors in January during an interview with Country Countdown USA. He said he does not believe anything he sees on the internet. Stefani responded to the speculation by posting photos and a video of the couple sharing a New Year's kiss to start 2026.

The two met as coaches on "The Voice" in 2014. They married in July 2021 after previous marriages for both.

Doubt decided to bring their show to the Sphere for a Las Vegas residency after taking nearly a decade off from performing together between 2015 and their Coachella appearance in 2024. The band said they were excited by new challenges and wanted to include some tracks that audiences were not expecting to hear.

The group discussed how to tell their story and which songs all four members wanted to play. Songs had to pass through several filters before making the final setlist.