They may have swapped the frosted tips for salt-and-pepper beards, but the Backstreet Boys are having more fun than ever — and they're just getting started.
Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough reunited for a surprise appearance at the Grand Prix Plaza Formula 1 attraction in Las Vegas this week, looking relaxed and in high spirits as they celebrated a landmark new chapter in one of pop's most enduring careers.
The occasion? The announcement that the Backstreet Boys will headline the official Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix after-party at Sphere this November — bringing together two of the city's biggest entertainment draws in what promises to be a spectacular evening.
A new era, decades in the making
Thirty-three years after forming in Orlando, Florida, the group are in the middle of a remarkable renaissance. Their Into The Millennium Las Vegas Sphere residency, which launched in July 2025, made them the first pop act to headline the state-of-the-art venue — a distinction that speaks volumes about where they stand in the entertainment world right now.
Demand has been so overwhelming that three additional New Year's weekend dates have been added: 31 December, 1 January and 2 January, taking the residency deep into 2027. Tickets go on general sale on 21 August.
The group are also set to take their Into The Millennium — Homecoming: Live in Germany residency to Merkur Spiel Arena in Düsseldorf, running from 25 September to 7 October — the only European shows on their 2026 calendar, and a return to the city where they earned their first platinum record with I'll Never Break Your Heart in 1996.
'We're not The Eagles'
Performing at Sphere presents unique creative challenges, and Brian Littrell, 51, was candid about what it takes to make the experience work.
"It's almost like two different shows going on at the same time because there's the show on the screen, but there's a show on the stage, and so the important part is to integrate those two shows together because you don't want to lose anybody," he told HELLO!
The band's signature energy — dancing, interacting with the crowd, commanding a stage — means the Sphere's extraordinary visual capabilities have to work with the performance rather than overshadow it. As Brian put it plainly: "We're not The Eagles. We don't stand up there in one spot and play instruments. We dance around, we hype the crowd."
"I don't think there's any fear, just excitement as we ask: 'How do we do it differently?' And we've got some tricks up our sleeves," he teased.
For fans who grew up with Millennium — the 1999 album that sold millions worldwide and earned the group multiple Grammy nominations — there is something genuinely thrilling about watching this band not just survive but thrive. See more music news here.
Four out of five
Kevin Richardson was notably absent from Thursday's Las Vegas photo call, with his four bandmates representing the group at the Grand Prix Plaza. It was, nonetheless, a warm and lively reunion — Nick and Brian were spotted joking around together before all four posed for photographs against the Formula 1 backdrop.
Style-wise, double denim appeared to serve as something of an unofficial dress code. AJ, 48, stood out with a salt-and-pepper beard, dark sunglasses, a black baseball cap and a denim jacket — a long way from the clean-cut image of the group's early days, and all the better for it. Howie, 52, opted for jeans with a pale blue T-shirt and black blazer, while Nick, 46, went for a cream and black jacket over a white T-shirt with loose-fitting jeans.
The group most recently contributed the track Bottle Up to the soundtrack for PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, released in June — proof, if any were needed, that the Backstreet Boys have absolutely no intention of slowing down.
