Billy Joel is saying farewell to his “New York State of Mind.”
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The legend announced that his long-running residency at Madison Square Garden will end in 2024. Joel joined New York Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference on Thursday (June 1) to reveal that he’s slated to end the record-breaking residency in July 2024.
The “Piano Man” kicked off the critically acclaimed show in 2014. Following the closing night, Joel would have played approximately 150 concerts. The Grammy Award-winner has sold more than 1.6 million tickets to date.
“There’s only one thing that’s more New York than Billy Joel — and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” said 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.”
While wrapping his head around the exit, Joel mentioned that he was pleasantly surprised by the residency and how long it actually lasted.
“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 10 years, 150 shows – all right already!” said the 74-year-old. “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.”
The Long Island native made light of the news, saying Madison Square Garden became his second home. “If you google Billy Joel’s house, they showed Madison Square Garden, which is kind of cool,” Joel pointed out. “I never found my bedroom though.”
Joel first performed at the prestigious venue on December 14, 1978 – following the release of his sixth studio album, 52nd Street.
In 2006, Joel played 12 consecutive shows at the Garden, scoring the title of the “most consecutive performances by any artist.” The arena honored the historic moment with a massive banner, which was later raised from the building’s rafters. In 2018, Joel played his 100 show, and to celebrate, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo dubbed July 18 “Billy Joel Day” in the state of New York. Bruce Springsteen joined Joel on stage for the milestone performance.
The final 10 shows in Joel’s residency will begin on October 20. Tickets will be available for the general public on Friday, June 9, via Ticketmaster and at the MSG box office.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
