Sting breathed new life into classic songs such as “Message in a Bottle,” “Fields of Gold” and “King of Pain.” He extended several tunes – such as his lengthy “Desert Rose” – so they could build dynamic tension.

Sting invited Joel back onto stage later that evening for a duet on Piano Man’s “Big Man on Mulberry Street.” Sting is set to perform again with Billy during his co-headlining tour alongside Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart.

Opening Act

Billy Joel and Sting made history this weekend when they came together as co-headliners to kick off their tour together at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. Both artists performed hit after hit while also performing duets.

No rain showers marred Sting’s opening set of 83 minutes on Tuesday night; which included dynamic renditions of “Message in a Bottle” and 1993 hit “Heavy Cloud No Rain”, both delivered with great enthusiasm by Sting himself. He sang these tunes with an urgent sense of purpose.

Billy Joel’s 84-minute set was equally stunning. He breathed new life into such classics as “Vienna,” “Only the Good Die Young,” and “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” while also expanding several songs–such as 12-minute “Walking on the Moon,” performed briskly yet lively; even calling reggae-fusion icon Shaggy onstage for an electrifying duet of “Englishman in New York.”

Featured Performer

Sting breathed new life into classic songs such as “Message in a Bottle,” “Brand New Day” and “Fields of Gold,” while extending several songs by up to 12 minutes–such as an extended rendition of “Walking on the Moon” that proved neither too long nor too short.

Sting demonstrated his vast repertoire of reggae, jazz and world music to delight his most dedicated fans with an enchanting a cappella rendition of Desert Rose and an exuberant duet with Joel on “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”. These performances left attendees in awe.

Joel would normally join Sting onstage for his rousing “Englishman in New York” finale, but instead Sting brought out reggae-fusion artist Shaggy to help sing it with him. These two Rock & Roll Hall of Famers had previously shared co-headlining duties at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium; San Diego marked their inaugural stop outside Florida; hopefully it won’t be their only visit there either!

Performing Together

Sting joined The “Piano Man” for two concerts this year in San Diego and Tampa. Madison Square Garden legend has sold out all his shows there to date, co-headlining with Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart this spring and concluding his MSG run this summer.

Sting, best known for his work as frontman for The Police, delivered an energetic performance that felt more like an evening concert than just opening act. His expert bass playing added layers to songs like “Message in a Bottle” and “Brand New Day,” while his Arabic-influenced melody on Desert Rose seemed especially poignant at a time of war in the Middle East.

Sting skillfully combined reggae and jazz influences into popular fan songs such as “Roxanne” and “Fields of Gold.” He even joined Joel for a duet during Joel’s set – performing The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”. Billy proved just as energetic, singing passionately to make the crowd erupt with applause.

Performing Alone

As both Joel and Sting are celebrated artists with incredible back catalogs of songs to their name, it comes as no surprise that both were on point during solo sets at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday. Joel managed to add fresh energy into classics such as “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle” and “So Lonely.”

Sting, on the other hand, added an extra dimension to his work with The Police and on his solo albums. He revamped classic hits like Desert Rose by adding an Arabic riff, as well as revamping original works such as Walking on the Moon so they feel fresh again.

The two Grammy winners appeared to be enjoying themselves while rocking together. They will reunite this spring in San Diego and in September at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium before traveling onward to Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium for November dates – in addition to solo dates each artist has scheduled this year.