Why your favourite artist isn’t touring in your city episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 23, 2026 · 11 MIN

Why your favourite artist isn’t touring in your city

from What in the World · host BBC World Service

Harry Styles, Bad Bunny and Shakira are just three of the many huge pop acts that have decided to do residencies — turning away from long world tours and performing night after night in one major city instead. Residencies make it easier for artists to build elaborate shows, help them avoid burnout from constantly being on the move, and save them the effort (and money!) of transporting their crew, costumes and staging. But they can also make it even harder for fans to get the chance to see their favourite artists live.BBC reporter Mollie Perella explains why residencies are becoming more popular - and why concert tickets are getting more and more expensive. Artists CMAT and Wet Leg tell us what they think about residencies - and whether they would ever do one. And fans share their thoughts on Harry Styles’ upcoming residency in New York.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates, William Lee Adams and Ash Mohamed Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Harry Styles, Bad Bunny and Shakira are just three of the many huge pop acts that have decided to do residencies — turning away from long world tours and performing night after night in one major city instead. Residencies make it easier for artists to build elaborate shows, help them avoid burnout from constantly being on the move, and save them the effort (and money!) of transporting their crew, costumes and staging. But they can also make it even harder for fans to get the chance to see their favourite artists live.BBC reporter Mollie Perella explains why residencies are becoming more popular - and why concert tickets are getting more and more expensive. Artists CMAT and Wet Leg tell us what they think about residencies - and whether they would ever do one. And fans share their thoughts on Harry Styles’ upcoming residency in New York.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates, William Lee Adams and Ash Mohamed Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

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Why your favourite artist isn’t touring in your city

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This episode was published on April 23, 2026.

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Harry Styles, Bad Bunny and Shakira are just three of the many huge pop acts that have decided to do residencies — turning away from long world tours and performing night after night in one major city instead. Residencies make it easier for artists...

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