Adele kicks off rescheduled Las Vegas residency

Adele has thanked fans for "coming back" to her on the opening night of her delayed Las Vegas residency.

The singer praised fans who had waited nearly a year for her rescheduled performance.

She received a standing ovation when she walked on stage at Caesars Palace on Friday, and described the show as "just perfect".

The set on the Colosseum stage "looked just like I imagined".

In an emotional speech, the 34-year-old singer opened the show by telling fans she should be giving them a standing ovation, a she said she "might be a bit wobbly at times".

Some in the audience had waited 11 months to see the artist after the five-month run of shows, that should have started in January, were postponed at a day's notice because of a Covid outbreak among production staff and delays in finishing the set.

The singer had announced the postponement on Instagram, telling fans in a tearful message the show was "not ready".

At the concert on Friday, she said: "My nerves are out of control" as she joked that it was a massive week for her with the Walking Dead finale on Sunday.

Her first song of the evening was her 2015 number one single Hello, after which she received another standing ovation.

Easy On Me, Set Fire To The Rain and Someone Like You also made it onto the set list.

John Katsilometes, a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal who was at the gig, praised the singer's performance, calling it "a pretty special night".

He told the BBC's Today programme: "She crushed it. It was a pretty special night for Adele and everyone in the room tonight.

"There were a great deal of nerves and trepidation in that room tonight, especially from Adele when she came out - and she delivered.

"She was impressive, and gave a warm and complete performance. I don't think she could have asked for any more than what she delivered tonight."

Fans Ryan Fuller, 38, from San Francisco, said the show was "beautiful" and "worth the wait".

'Weekends with Adele' will be on until March.

She joins a string of artists taking up the coveted residency, including Elton John, Cher and The Beach Boys.

But once the residency is over, the singer said she will put a pause on performing to study English Literature at university.