Billy Joel plays at Mohegan Sun for the first time in over 16 years

Billy Joel is returning to the Mohegan Sun. Not for one of his celebrated residencies, like the 10 shows he played at the resort casino in 2008, but for a single performance on February 22, 2025.

Tickets for the show at Mohegan Sun Arena will be available through various presale offers beginning Tuesday, and will then go on sale to the general public through Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. Friday. If the show is not already sold out, tickets will be available at the Mohegan Sun box office on Saturday. Prices have not yet been announced.

Billy Joel is one of the most successful singer/songwriters in pop music history, having sold over 160 million records worldwide. In the 1980s, he adapted to the MTV era with a series of popular music videos. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013.

In the 1970s, Joel played at various colleges in Connecticut, including the University of Bridgeport in 1972 and Quinnipiac College (now Quinnipiac University) in Hamden in 1974. That same year, he had his first Top 40 hit with “Piano Man.” He played two nights at Connecticut College's Palmer Auditorium in 1976 and Fairfield University in 1978. He also played at The Bushnell in Hartford in 1977.

During the 1980s, Joel played mostly in large arenas, including the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum in 1978 and the Hartford Civic Center in 1980. But in July 1980, he performed two surprise concerts at Toad's Place in New Haven, which were recorded for his 1981 live album, Songs in the Attic. Mike Spoerndle, the owner of Toad's Place, told so many friends about the secret booking that it was almost canceled.

In 2011, he performed as part of a lively question-and-answer session with UConn students in the school's Jorgensen Auditorium, getting them to sing along to some of his hits. He performed the 10-show residency at the Mohegan Sun 16 years ago, and headlined the annual Greenwich Town Party in 2022.

Originally published: September 9, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.