Swept up in a swarm of concertgoers inching along a pedestrian bridge out of Sphere Las Vegas, there was nothing to do but join in the rollicking “I Want It That Way” singalong. The minute that opening night of the Backstreet Boys’ Into the Millennium spectacle ended, it was like Sphere unleashed a roaring wave of white-outfitted fans, which gathered speed and decibels before crashing into The Venetian Resort, where “Larger Than Life” blared across the casino and two pals singing BSB outside the restrooms promptly evolved into a crowd of hundreds.

“Vegas is dying,” TikTokers meanwhile declared as reports showed the town’s biggest visitor decline since the pandemic. “Vegas is dead,” others insisted on Instagram.

“Well,” I thought, while riding the wave of white back to The Venetian. “If Vegas is dead, at least it’s spawned my kind of ‘90s heaven. There’s even a heavenly dress code.”

“It was funny seeing those, ‘Vegas is dead,’ posts because we went, ‘Did you film that at 4:30 a.m.? That’s not the Vegas we’re seeing,’” says Kate Wik, chief marketing officer at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “There was sensationalization because shock-and-awe headlines drive engagement.”

“Those posts are designed to spark conversation,” agrees Andi Naka, a local blogger. “They start with a question like, ‘Is Las Vegas dead?’ because it gets people interacting with the content, but it’s an exaggeration.”

Visitor numbers dropped by 7.5 percent from 2024 to 2025, but the city still welcomed 38.5 million people. When I returned weeks later for another trip up the BSB stairway to Sphereven, Vegas still didn’t feel dead. Nor did it feel dead when I danced “Step by Step” into New Kids on the Block’s “The Right Stuff” residency over at Park MGM in June, or stayed out until “3AM” after Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas’ Fontainebleau Las Vegas gig in September.

Many locals agree while some areas feel quieter, the only time the city has felt dead was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when casinos shut for the first time since President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination. However, a rebirth rapidly raged. Visitor numbers leaped from 19,031,100 in 2020 to 32,230,600 in 2021 and 41,676,300 in 2024. 

“That era of revenge travel was the greatest gift to Las Vegas,” says Wik. “You had pent-up demand, but also pent-up bank accounts. People wanted to splurge. What we saw in 2025 was a post-pandemic normalization. There was this crazy boom with record revenue growth, then 2025 was a leveling out.”

Wik notes that Vegas’ 150,000-plus hotel rooms still boasted 80.3 percent occupancy in 2025, compared to a U.S. average of 62.3 percent. “We’re still driving more hotel stays than any other destination, but that’s not the storyline that gets picked up,” she says. “And Vegas is a mirror of the U.S. economy. Our luxury market’s booming, but budget travelers are getting squeezed in their everyday lives. It’s not, ‘Are we choosing Miami or Las Vegas?’ It’s, ‘My grocery and healthcare prices are incredibly high and I’m worried about my job, so I’m not taking a trip.’”

Naka’s noticed clubs and shows remain packed, but queues at restaurants and attractions are shorter, while traffic’s lighter. However, it was a different scene once BSB landed on July 11. “I noticed a visible increase in activity around the city,” says Naka. “More traffic, busier restaurants and venues and even heavier airport traffic.”

Since launching the residency, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, AJ McLean, Nick Carter and Brian Littrell have helped boost occupancy rates, injected steady streams of cash into the local economy, infused fresh inspiration into the hospitality scene, attracted international tourists and sparked a nostalgia-rooted unity across town. 

Following their February 2026 run, Vegas reported its first rise in visitor numbers in over a year. Visitation for the month was also up 2.1 percent from February 2025. While the LVCVA doesn’t attribute the rise to anything specific, their latest visitor profile study indicates a heavy portion of 2025 visitors slot into BSB’s key demographic. 

The study found 66 percent of 2025 visitors were 30 to 49 years old — people aged 4-23 during BSB’s late ‘90s pandemonium. “This is the product for them,” says Wik. “They’ve got disposable income and the Backstreet Boys fuel the nostalgia that speaks to that 40- to 50-year-old who grew up with them.”

Many bring children, grandchildren or parents, with the cross-generational pull evident in the audience, as is the global reach, with people flying in from Europe, New Zealand, Canada, Asia, South America and Australia. Some fans have seen the concert 20-plus times.

The band’s reportedly grossing $4 million per show, which would equate to a $224 million haul from their 56 Sphere shows in 2025-26. But it’s other expenditure which has proved fruitful for Sin City. Fans have reported spending upwards of $8,000 per BSB trip, and many are making The Venetian home, with the hotel reporting 96.3 percent average occupancy in 2025. In January, CEO Patrick Nichols said he was “very pleased” with 2025 growth and credited being attached to Sphere for attracting guests.

The resort becomes a Backstreet playground pre-/post-show, partly thanks to the “Backstreet Boys Terminal,” a two-story pop-up run by Vibee, a LiveNation offshoot offering curated destination experiences. The free attraction has photo opportunities, themed cocktails and exclusive merch.

But it’s the residency’s impact beyond Sphere and its surrounds that is notable. Since its late-2023 opening, Fontainebleau Las Vegas has faced challenges like dwindling tourist numbers and being located away from bustling mid-Strip. Erin Naeve, vp revenue management and distribution, says the property has focused on luxury and international markets and proudly converted first-time guests into “long-term Fontainebleau Las Vegas advocates”. And it’s BSB who have brought in some of those first-timers.

By the band’s fourth weekend of shows last August, BSB mania could be felt on every corner, with street vendors setting up photo opportunities while buskers performed BSB sets. “It’s like Vegas turned into a Backstreet theme park,” I commented post-show.

Meanwhile, after McLean urged concertgoers to wear white, retailers jumped on-board, with substantial white clothing seen in stores. “It’s incredibly obvious when BSB’s on as everyone’s in white,” says Bowman of the scene at The Venetian. Even two miles away at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Naeve “consistently” sees hotel guests in white on show days.

It’s not just shops, hotels and hospitality profiting from the “BSB Army.” Last summer’s attendees also checked out Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions The Las Vegas Residency, while February showgoers went to New Kids on the Block: The Right Stuff Las Vegas Residency. When one fan posted that her husband would take her to BSB if she received enough likes, Donnie Wahlberg even threw in NKOTB tickets, encouraging followers to catch both boy bands in one trip.

“I don’t think any of us saw how massive this would be for our city,” says Mix 94.1 radio host Heather Collins. “I’ve walked the hallways before a show where everyone’s in white, restaurants are full, bars are packed. The first few weeks, Backstreet Boys was all the city could talk about. This and other Sphere residencies are why Vegas is thriving.”

McLean may have been joking when he said his white theme created a “cult,” but there’s no denying the threads of community the residency has also sprouted — whether it’s travelers in BSB shirts saluting each other at the airport or white-outfitted diners acknowledging each other across restaurants. 

“I’ve been most surprised how fans continue wearing white,” says the residency’s producer and director Baz Halpin. “Talk about a communal bringing together of humanity.”

Naka describes a “unified” atmosphere on show days, something reiterated by David McMahon, who runs Experience Vegas. “Fans acknowledging and singing with each other across the city has been so fun,” he says. “It’s making each resort feel like a connected community.”

The pop stars have also immersed themselves in the wider community. Carter partnered with local store Torpedo Comics to raise money for children’s shelter Child Haven during last summer’s shows, and recently played a poker tournament benefiting Baller Dream Foundation. Dorough packed out Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas during his culinary series Howie Eatz. The musicians are also headlining an upcoming tech conference afterparty and brought fresh excitement to a Vegas Golden Knights game.

“The guys have rooted themselves in our community and you see them at countless charity events giving back,” says the team’s in-arena host Mark Shunock. “They understand the importance of our people. When they came to the game, fans loved it.”

Shunock, who’s building a $50 million community center, adds that Sphere’s become a popular spot for locals. Collins agrees: “It’s cool seeing Las Vegas supporting the Strip again. Many locals hate the Strip, so to see friends and coworkers attending Backstreet Boys has brought locals’ presence back to Las Vegas Blvd. People want to go because the Sphere shows have been so fantastic.”

Since launching with U2’s 2023 residency, Sphere — named U.S. Arena of the Year at the 2026 Pollstar Awards — has hosted acts including The Eagles, Phish, Dead & Company, Anyma and Illenium. No Doubt and Metallica are up next. 

“We’ve noticed people coming for these residencies are staying longer and exploring more of the city,” says Naeve. “Our brand’s reputation for world-class entertainment and hospitality feels like the perfect complement to Sphere, so it’s enabled us to welcome a more entertainment-driven guest.”

Of course, it would be remiss to say one band, venue or residency is reviving Vegas. 

“With 150,000 hotel rooms, it’ll take more than [Sphere], which seats 20,000, to fill rooms,” says Wik. “We’ve got massive acts inside Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, The Colosseum, MGM Grand Garden. One band might not dramatically move the needle, but it’s all of them together that’s making Las Vegas so special.”

The city’s world-class hospitality also continues drawing visitors, with Mexican chef Gabriela Cámara’s restaurant Cantina Contrama a new hot spot, while country star Luke Combs will unveil three-story Category 10 Las Vegas in October.

Four out of five visitors are still gambling, while spending on sporting events increased in 2025. With drawcards like Formula 1 and WrestleMania, the Athletics’ ballpark, talk of a local NBA team and the Super Bowl’s 2029 return, sports will remain a powerful pull.

But with expenditure on shows and entertainment up by around 8.5 percent from 2024-2025, acts like BSB look set to continue helping revitalize the city. The band’s added 21 shows this summer amid undying demand.

“The BSB takeover last summer felt like a Y2K reunion,” says McMahon. “From the Vibee activation, white outfits and singing in parking lots, to post-show afterparties, the Into the Millennium excitement was tangible. The Backstreet Boys didn’t just bring a residency — they brought a cross-generational movement to Las Vegas.”