What retirement? The Who announce Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum

Rock band The Who are the latest act heading to Las Vegas. The legendary rockers will host a residency at The Colosseum in July, dispelling previous assumptions that Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are preparing for retirement.

Daltrey, 73, and Townshend, 71, will take up residency at Caesar's Palace from 29 July before performing a further five shows. According to The Guardian, a statement described the residency as a "first-run" suggesting additional performances could be added if the initial six dates are well-received. Tickets go on sale from Friday 17 March.

The Who will become the first rock band to play at The Colosseum since the venue opened its doors in 2003. The I Can't Explain hitmakers will follow in the footsteps of iconic singers like Celine Dion, Elton John, Mariah Carey and Rod Stewart who have all held residencies at The Colosseum over the years.

News of The Who's residency comes as a surprise considering the duo hinted their current tour, which launched in 2014, would be their last. Daltrey definitively stated at the time: "This is the beginning of the long goodbye."

Townshend added: "Trying to stay young. Not wearing socks. Growing a great big woodcutter's beard. Might even wear a check shirt onstage and get a tattoo of a Union Jack. Always a fashion victim. But under no illusions. We are what we are, and extremely good at it, but we're lucky to be alive and still touring."

After forming in Acton, west London, The Who have remained at the forefront of rock music since the 1960s. Some of their best known songs include The Kids Are Alright, I Can't Explain, Who Are You and My Generation. Over the course of their five-decades-long career, The Who have released 11 studio albums, including the chart-topping Who's Next in 1971.

Until they hit Vegas, fans in the UK will have the opportunity to catch The Who on-stage during the Teenage Cancer Trust's concert series. Townshend and Daltrey will perform live at London's Royal Albert Hall on 30 March and 1 April.