NEED TO KNOW
- New Kids on the Block stage high-energy Las Vegas residency with a nostalgic yet modern 30-song show.
- Immersive stage production and heartfelt tributes include subway-themed entrances, aerial performances, Rat Pack-inspired sets and a mock on-stage wedding to celebrate lifelong fan bonds.
- Band emphasizes intimate connection amid spectacle, staying true to their roots while evolving with creative staging and fresh twists on classic performances.
More than 35 years since first exploding onto the pop music scene, New Kids on the Block are proving that their boyband didn’t just grow up. They evolved.
The group — with members Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight — kicked off the first leg of their Las Vegas residency with a show that’s equal parts spectacle, soul and rollicking fun. Blending a setlist of hit songs, deep cuts and reimagined fan favorites, the band turns Dolby Theater at the Park MGM into the center of the Blockhead universe, performing a tribute to their music and the fans who have grown up with them and continue to drive them.
“It’s Vegas so we had to come with everything we have to make it the best and biggest show we’ve ever done,” Joey told PEOPLE about “The Right Stuff” residency, named after their 1989 song. “But if you take away all the bells and whistles, it’s still the five of us up there doing what we did when we were teenagers, with the same heart and the same passion and the same desires.”
References to the bandmates’ early days in Boston are woven throughout the 30-song concert, including its opening number that sees the five members step out on stage from inside a life-size replica of the city’s old subway trains.
“We used to dream about coming on in the train in 1985,” said Joey, referencing the year they formed the final group in Roxbury, Mass. “How could we enter the show any other way? We grew up on the subway. They were red line guys; I was orange and green line guy. It felt right to start the show that way because it’s how we started.”
While nostalgia looms large — childhood photos and clips from their early videos flash on screen during set changes — the band avoids a retro rehash with sleek new production numbers, high-flying elements and cheeky for-fans-only moments.
Complete with sequined dinner jackets, cabaret-style tables and lounge dancers, a sultry Rat Pack-style showcase gives a jazz-club vibe to their songs including “Click Click Click,” “Full Service,” “Boys in the Band” and “Never Let You Go.” A separate act includes a mock quickie-wedding ceremony at “NKOTB Chapel’ between the band and the fan-filled audience, who likely dreamt of marrying one of the New Kids when they were teenagers themselves.
“It felt like the natural thing to do in Vegas. We’re already bonded for life, us and the fans, so we might as well make it official,” said Donnie, who officiates the wedding from the stage.
In one of the most elaborate stunts of the night, the singers go airborne in individual light-up boxes that are hoisted up into the rafters to sing directly to those sitting in the upper balcony levels. “I think it’s safe to say that we get closer to our fans in this show than ever before — literally,” said Donnie, who also joins the group as they run out into the crowd for hugs, high-fives and selfies during an extended version of their song “Tonight.”
“We’re always thinking about our fans. They’ve seen us perform these songs dozens of times so we wanted to surprise them with a new look and feel to them,” said Jonathan. “Something they would not expect from us.”
Said Joey: “We always take care of our Blockhead high rollers. I want them to feel like they hit the jackpot when they come to our show.”
Despite its splashy Las Vegas-style production, it was important to the band to keep a connection between them and the audience. “It’s a big show with all the extra stuff but it’s still very intimate at the same time,” said Danny. “We didn’t want to lose ourselves in the big ideas.”
During the encore at the end of the night, the band rolls on stage in a souped-up replica of the 1971 Buick LeSabre convertible featured in their 1989 video for “The Right Stuff” — a playful but poignant nod to respecting their past, embracing the present and driving towards the future with their fans along for the ride.
“We just would like them to feel proud of being fans, and to be proud of us, proud of the work that we put in,” said Jordan. “I hope they know that we’re not taking this for granted, knowing that we really pull a lot of thought into it and that it’s a big deal to us for them to fly across the country to see us and pay all that money to stay in a hotel. We just want to give them their money’s worth and show them that we really care about them.”
Following their June and July performances, New Kids on the Block’s “The Right Stuff” residency dates include:
November 2025: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15
Feb. 2026: 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, 28
Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com/NKOTBVEGAS or with special ticket and hotel packages through MGM Resorts.
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