(NEW YORK, NY) -- Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (“MSG Entertainment”) and legendary musician and MSG franchise Billy Joel announced on June 1st that after ten extraordinary years, Joel’s historic franchise run at The Garden will conclude with his 150th lifetime show at the venue in July 2024. With this also comes the announcement that the first of the final ten shows in his record-breaking residency at The World’s Most Famous Arena will take place on October 20, 2023.
“I'm kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did. My team tells me that we could continue to sell tickets, but ten years, 150 shows – all right already!” said Billy Joel. “I do remember the first time we played Madison Square Garden, it was the pinnacle of my career. I thought, ‘My God, I'm headlining Madison Square Garden.’ Everybody in the world knows when you play The Garden, it's not just New York. To our audience, I want to thank them for coming to our shows for this long. It's hard to end, even at 150 lifetime shows. I just want to thank everyone for the wonderful thing that's happened here.”
“Billy Joel’s franchise run has made history – not only for Madison Square Garden, but also for the music industry overall,” said James L. Dolan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MSG Entertainment. “150 sold out lifetime shows is a remarkable achievement, and speaks to Billy’s extraordinary talent, beloved catalog, and dedicated fanbase. Billy always has a home here at MSG even though the residency is coming to an end with his 150th lifetime performance.”
“There’s only one thing that’s more New York than Billy Joel – and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “For more than 50 years, Billy’s music has defined our city and brought us together. On behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, congratulations, Billy, on a historic run of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to us all.”
Joel’s history with Madison Square Garden began with his first performance at The World’s Most Famous Arena on December 14, 1978. In 2006, with 12 consecutive performances, Joel set the record for “most consecutive performances by any artist.” To commemorate the historic moment, a banner stating “Joel – 12” was raised to The Garden rafters, making him the first entertainer in the venue’s history to accomplish this feat.
In December 2013, Billy Joel was named Madison Square Garden’s first-ever music franchise, joining the ranks of the storied venue’s other original franchises – the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. The record-breaking residency began in January 2014 with Joel playing one show every month at The Garden for, as Joel said at the time, “as long as the demand continues.” In January 2015, Joel broke his own record of the “most consecutive performances by any artist” with the 13th show of the residency and a new banner was raised to The Garden’s rafters. In July 2015, with his 65th lifetime show, Joel broke another record for the “most lifetime performances by any artist,” for which another banner was raised. Both of Joel’s banners continue to hang at The Garden and are replaced each month with each performance.
In July 2018, to commemorate his 100th lifetime performance at the venue, then Governor Andrew M. Cuomo officially proclaimed July 18, 2018 “Billy Joel Day” in the State of New York in honor of Joel’s extraordinary history of leadership and contributions to the music industry and New York State. As part of the celebration, Joel’s piano was put on display outside of Chase Square at the Seventh Avenue entrance to The Garden. The 100th lifetime performance was one for the ages – with Bruce Springsteen joining Joel on stage to celebrate the milestone. A multitude of other incredible surprise guests have joined him on stage throughout the course of the ten-year run including Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon, John Fogerty, Billy Gibbons, Brian Johnson, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, Olivia Rodrigo, Paul Simon, and more. And, throughout the course of his legendary run, more than 1.6 million tickets have been sold to fans from all 50 states and more than 120 countries – further establishing Joel’s status as a global icon.
In addition to his ongoing residency run, Joel has also performed alongside other music greats at two of Madison Square Garden’s most extraordinary benefit concerts – “12-12-12, The Concert For Sandy Relief,” which raised awareness and money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy, and “The Concert for New York City,” which was held to help aid 9/11 victims and heroes.
Billy Joel is one of the world’s most iconic musicians, having received The Kennedy Center Honors, one of the United States' top cultural awards, in December 2013. He is also the recipient of six GRAMMY® Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Legend Award. Joel has been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has received numerous industry awards including a TONY AWARD for “Movin' Out,” a Broadway musical based on Joel’s music. For his accomplishments as a musician and as a humanitarian, Joel was honored as the 2002 MusiCares Person Of The Year by the MusiCares Foundation and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.
In November 2014, Billy Joel received both The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song which honors living musical artists’ lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations, and the once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Award, which is presented to American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments in their respective music genres and beyond. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected “Piano Man” for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, and artistic significance.”
The first of the final ten shows in Joel’s MSG franchise run will take place on October 20, 2023. Citi cardmembers will have first access to presale tickets for the October 20 show from Monday, June 5 at 10:00am (ET) through Thursday, June 8 at 10:00Ppm(ET) via www.citientertainment.com. Verizon will also offer an exclusive presale for the October show through the customer loyalty program Verizon Up. Members will have exclusive access to purchase presale tickets from Tuesday, June 6 at 10:00am (ET) through Thursday, June 8 at 10:00PM (ET). For more details and to sign up for Verizon Up, visit www.verizon.com. Tickets will be available for purchase by the general public beginning at 10:00am (ET) on Friday, June 9 via www.ticketmaster.com. Due to congestion during the on-sale, it can be difficult to purchase tickets right away. Please continue to check Ticketmaster as tickets will be available throughout the day. Tickets will also be available at the Madison Square Garden box office on Saturday, June 10.
The concert, part of the Montefiore Concert Series, is being promoted by MSG Entertainment in association with AEG Presents and Q104.3 as a media partner.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) is a leader in live entertainment, delivering unforgettable experiences while forging deep connections with diverse and passionate audiences. The Company’s portfolio includes a collection of world-renowned venues – New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Beacon Theatre; and The Chicago Theatre – that showcase a broad array of sporting events, concerts, family shows, and special events for millions of guests annually. In addition, the Company features the original production, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, which has been a holiday tradition for 89 years.
PHOTOS CREDIT: MSG ENTERTAINMENT
