A New Day... was the first concert residency by Canadian singer Celine Dion, staged at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Conceived and directed by Franco Dragone, the production was developed to accompany Dion's seventh English‑language studio album, A New Day Has Come (2002). The show premiered on 25 March 2003 and concluded on 15 December 2007.
Originally contracted for a three‑year run, the residency earned Dion approximately US$100 million in base compensation, along with 50 percent of the profits. Due to strong demand and sustained commercial success, the engagement was extended for two additional years. A New Day... ultimately became the highest‑grossing concert residency in history, generating more than US$385 million ($ million in dollars) and attracting nearly three million attendees across 714 performances.
Dion returned to Las Vegas on 15 March 2011 for her second residency, Celine.
Background and creation Dion originally intended to title the show Muse, but the British rock band of the same name held the worldwide performing rights to the name. Dion offered the group $50,000 in exchange for those rights, an offer they declined. Lead singer Matthew Bellamy explained that the band did not want audiences to assume they were appearing as Dion's supporting act.
Early design plans called for a large video projector to serve as the primary stage backdrop. However, lighting designer Yves Aucoin noted that dancers moving in front of the projection would cast distracting shadows. In response, René Angélil approached entertainment executive Phil Anschutz, whose AEG Live was financing the production, and secured an additional $10 million to construct what became the largest indoor LED screen in North America. Manufactured by Mitsubishi Diamond Vision, the screen was an HDTV installation with an 8 mm dot pitch, assembled from multiple LED panels to create a seamless high‑resolution display.
Critical reception Upon its debut, A New Day... received mixed reviews, with several critics noting an uneven balance between theatrical elements and traditional concert performance. Writing for TheaterMania.com, Christine Westley praised the production design but argued that Dion's presence was "inconsequential at best". She added that the show's most awkward moments occurred when the dancers exited and Dion interacted directly with the audience, creating what she described as a noticeable divide between Franco Dragone's theatrical vision and a conventional Celine Dion concert.
Phil Gallo of Variety similarly commended the visual design but criticized the selection and interpretation of several classic songs. He wrote that Dion's renditions of "At Last", "Fever", and "I've Got the World on a String" highlighted what he viewed as a lack of stylistic depth, noting that her phrasing closely mirrored earlier performers. Gallo also remarked that the arrangement of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" became increasingly overwrought and questioned the decision to stage the number with Dion elevated high above the stage. He concluded that while Dion appeared confident, audience engagement on opening night was limited unless she explicitly encouraged participation.
In the documentary A New Day... The Secrets, included with Live in Las Vegas: A New Day..., Dion and Dragone discussed adjustments made throughout the show's run, such as increasing the visibility of the band and refining Dion's styling to better align with audience expectations.
As the production approached its final performances, reviews grew more positive. Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote that Dion had "grown into" the show and that it had evolved into a polished pop spectacle with artistic touches, rather than the more experimental concept originally presented. He noted the removal of early staging choices, the introduction of new musical segments, and a shift toward a more energetic finale. Weatherford concluded that although some of the initial ambition had been scaled back, the production continued to deliver striking visual moments.
Accolades Year Award show Award 2005 6th Annual Visitors' Choice Awards Favorite Headliner in Las Vegas 24th Annual Las Vegas Review-Journal Best of Las Vegas Awards Best Headliner in Las Vegas 2006 7th Annual Visitors' Choice Awards Favorite Headliner in Las Vegas 25th Annual Las Vegas Review-Journal Best of Las Vegas Awards Best Headliner in Las Vegas Movie Entertainment Awards Entertainer of the Year (Entertainment Industry's Most Influential Canadian) 2007 26th Annual Las Vegas Review-Journal Best of Las Vegas Awards Best Singer Best All-Around Performer Best Show Choreography Nevada Commission on Tourism Entertainer of the New Millennium
Broadcasts and recordings
The show's opening night was filmed and broadcast as a television special for CBS under the title Celine in Las Vegas, Opening Night Live. Hosted by Justin Timberlake, the program aired on 25 March 2003.
In November 2003, the production was recorded again for commercial release. The resulting live album, A New Day... Live in Las Vegas, was issued in June 2004 and includes 13 songs from the show. A special edition of the album also contains a bonus DVD, One Year... One Heart, narrated by comedian Wayne Brady. The documentary presents rehearsal footage, behind‑the‑scenes material, moments with Dion's family, and a look at the recording of her album One Heart. The album reached number 10 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA for shipments exceeding 500,000 copies.
The show was filmed a final time in high definition in January 2007 and released on 7 December 2007 as Live in Las Vegas: A New Day.... The two‑disc set contains the full concert along with three documentaries: Because You Loved Me (A Tribute to the Fans), A New Day: All Access, and A New Day: The Secrets. The release achieved substantial international success, topping the DVD charts in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, and Estonia, and placing within the top 10 in numerous other markets worldwide.
Set list The following set list is from the 29 March 2003 performance and does not represent all shows throughout the residency.
"Nature Boy" "The Power of Love" "It's All Coming Back to Me" "Because You Loved Me" "To Love You More" "I'm Alive" "Seduces Me" "If I Could" "At Last" "Fever" "I've Got the World on a String" "A New Love" (instrumental) "I Surrender" "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" "Aria di Lucia de Lammermoor" (instrumental) "Ammore annascunnuto" "I Wish" "Love Can Move Mountains" "I Drove All Night" "My Heart Will Go On" "What a Wonderful World"
Shows Legs 1–10 Date Attendance Revenue Leg 1 25 March 2003 — — 26 March 2003 27 March 2003 28 March 2003 29 March 2003 2 April 2003 3 April 2003 4 April 2003 5 April 2003 6 April 2003 9 April 2003 10 April 2003 11 April 2003 12 April 2003 13 April 2003 16 April 2003 17 April 2003 18 April 2003 19 April 2003 20 April 2003 23 April 2003 24 April 2003 25 April 2003 26 April 2003 27 April 2003 28 April 2003 29 April 2003 Leg 2 14 May 2003 — — 15 May 2003 16 May 2003 17 May 2003 18 May 2003 21 May 2003 22 May 2003 23 May 2003 24 May 2003 25 May 2003 28 May 2003 29 May 2003 30 May 2003 31 May 2003 1 June 2003 4 June 2003 5 June 2003 6 June 2003 7 June 2003 8 June 2003 11 June 2003 12 June 2003 13 June 2003 14 June 2003 15 June 2003 18 June 2003 19 June 2003 20 June 2003 21 June 2003 22 June 2003 25 June 2003 26 June 2003 27 June 2003 28 June 2003 2 July 2003 3 July 2003 4 July 2003 5 July 2003 6 July 2003 Leg 3Leg 3 box score:
6 August 2003 — — 7 August 2003 8 August 2003 9 August 2003 10 August 2003 13 August 2003 20,559 / 20,559 $2,788,263 14 August 2003 15 August 2003 16 August 2003 17 August 2003 20 August 2003 20,564 / 20,564 $2,789,769 21 August 2003 22 August 2003 23 August 2003 24 August 2003 27 August 2003 20,306 / 20,306 $2,751,709 28 August 2003 29 August 2003 30 August 2003 31 August 2003 3 September 2003 20,552 / 20,552 $2,797,916 4 September 2003 5 September 2003 6 September 2003 7 September 2003 10 September 2003 20,541 / 20,541 $2,793,702 11 September 2003 12 September 2003 13 September 2003 14 September 2003 17 September 2003 20,570 / 20,570 $2,796,690 18 September 2003 19 September 2003 20 September 2003 21 September 2003 24 September 2003 20,487 / 20,487 $2,788,549 25 September 2003 26 September 2003 27 September 2003 28 September 2003 2 October 2003 16,436 / 16,436 $2,242,614 3 October 2003 4 October 2003 5 October 2003 Leg 4Leg 4 box score:
22 October 2003 20,403 / 20,403 $2,768,628 23 October 2003 24 October 2003 25 October 2003 26 October 2003 29 October 2003 16,379 / 16,379 $2,217,495 30 October 2003 31 October 2003 1 November 2003 2 November 2003 5 November 2003 20,564 / 20,564 $2,790,197 6 November 2003 7 November 2003 8 November 2003 9 November 2003 12 November 2003 20,583 / 20,583 $2,790,299 13 November 2003 14 November 2003 15 November 2003 16 November 2003 19 November 2003 20,519 / 20,519 $2,794,303 20 November 2003 21 November 2003 22 November 2003 23 November 2003 26 November 2003 20,564 / 20,564 $2,789,271 27 November 2003 28 November 2003 29 November 2003 30 November 2003 10 December 2003 19,928 / 19,928 $2,757,746 11 December 2003 12 December 2003 13 December 2003 14 December 2003 Leg 5Leg 5 box score:
30 December 2003 20,579 / 20,579 $2,835,743 31 December 2003 1 January 2004 2 January 2004 3 January 2004 7 January 2004 18,520 / 18,520 $2,591,199 8 January 2004 9 January 2004 10 January 2004 11 January 2004 14 January 2004 19,829 / 19,829 $2,745,795 15 January 2004 16 January 2004 17 January 2004 18 January 2004 21 January 2004 20,444 / 20,444 $2,824,797 22 January 2004 23 January 2004 24 January 2004 25 January 2004 28 January 2004 7,988 / 7,988 $1,098,000 29 January 2004 6 February 2004 12,344 / 12,344 $1,703,724 7 February 2004 8 February 2004 Leg 6Leg 6 box score:
3 March 2004 20,546 / 20,546 $2,837,325 4 March 2004 5 March 2004 6 March 2004 7 March 2004 10 March 2004 20,518 / 20,518 $2,842,461 11 March 2004 12 March 2004 13 March 2004 14 March 2004 17 March 2004 20,459 / 20,459 $2,817,354 18 March 2004 19 March 2004 20 March 2004 21 March 2004 Leg 7Leg 7 box score:
14 April 2004 20,556 / 20,556 $2,836,146 15 April 2004 16 April 2004 17 April 2004 18 April 2004 21 April 2004 20,532 / 20,532 $2,832,118 22 April 2004 23 April 2004 24 April 2004 25 April 2004 28 April 2004 20,451 / 20,451 $2,811,213 29 April 2004 30 April 2004 1 May 2004 2 May 2004 5 May 2004 19,474 / 19,474 $2,662,550 6 May 2004 7 May 2004 8 May 2004 9 May 2004 26 May 2004 19,151 / 19,151 $2,617,132 27 May 2004 28 May 2004 29 May 2004 30 May 2004 Leg 8Leg 8 box score:
16 June 2004 20,151 / 20,151 $2,750,46517 June 200418 June 200419 June 200420 June 200423 June 2004 19,629 / 19,629 $2,653,44724 June 200425 June 200426 June 200427 June 200430 June 2004 19,358 / 20,500 $2,578,6151 July 20042 July 20043 July 20044 July 20047 July 2004 16,439 / 17,656 $2,189,1808 July 20049 July 200410 July 200411 July 200414 July 2004 19,465 / 19,490 $2,603,54815 July 200416 July 200417 July 200418 July 2004 Leg 9Leg 9 box score:
25 August 2004 18,142 / 19,692 $2,444,38426 August 200427 August 200428 August 200429 August 20041 September 2004 15,039 / 17,345 $2,038,7192 September 20043 September 20044 September 20045 September 20048 September 2004 17,633 / 18,338 $2,357,0569 September 200410 September 200411 September 200412 September 200423 September 2004 15,900 / 16,231 $2,165,93324 September 200425 September 200426 September 200429 September 2004 19,911 / 19,911 $2,707,55630 September 20041 October 20042 October 20043 October 20046 October 2004 20,450 / 20,450 $2,820,6997 October 20048 October 20049 October 200410 October 2004 Leg 10Leg 10 box score: