Key Takeaways
- Bruno Mars required fans to lock their phones in pouches during his Las Vegas shows to eliminate “option C”—recording instead of deciding whether they were enjoying the performance.
- Mars said phones create “a separation” between artists and audiences, though he conceded that extending the policy to stadiums on The Romantic Tour would require “too many pouches.”
- His Park MGM residency drew more than 800,000 fans, while demand for The Romantic Tour helped him sell a Live Nation-record 2.1 million tickets in one day.
Bruno Mars didn’t ban phones from his Las Vegas residency because he was worried about shaky concert footage hitting Instagram. He wanted audiences to make a choice: either enjoy the show or don’t. Just don’t spend it watching through a screen.
During a new interview with Australia’s The Smallzy Show, Mars explained the thinking behind requiring fans to lock their phones in pouches during his Las Vegas performances. The singer calls the approach “removing option C”—eliminating the instinct to reach for a phone instead of reacting to what’s happening onstage.
“Option A, you’re having the greatest time. Option B, you’re not. And those are your choices,” Mars explained. “Option C is, well, I don’t know what to feel, so I’m going to pull my phone down and record.” Take away that third possibility, he said, “then you’re forced to either have a good time or not.”
The policy became part of the experience during Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic residency, where attendees placed their phones inside secured pouches before the show. Mars acknowledged that separating people from their devices can be a big ask, but said the goal was to create an audience fully engaged with the performance rather than to document it.
That philosophy is harder to enforce as Mars moves from Vegas theaters into stadiums. Asked about carrying the phone-free approach into The Romantic Tour, Mars laughed off the logistics: “There’s too many pouches.”
But his preference hasn’t changed. He said phones can create “a separation” between performers and audiences, while a crowd collectively immersed in the show creates something different.
“Being able to have these moments and feeling that is what I do it for,” he said.
Mars has plenty of experience building that connection in Las Vegas. His relationship with the city stretches back to his 2013 MGM Grand Garden Arena debut, while his Park MGM residency ultimately drew more than 800,000 fans.
Earlier this year, Las Vegas honored that history with a Strip parade and the unveiling of Bruno Mars Drive as The Romantic Tour prepared to launch.
That tour has since become the biggest of Mars’ career. After initially announcing roughly 40 shows, overwhelming demand led to dozens of additional dates across North America, Europe, and the U.K.
