The shows have a minimalistic beginning, with just Adele and a pianist, and later incorporate a band, background vocalists, an orchestra, and production elements like pyrotechnics, a waterfall, and a pool.

Weekends with Adele received acclaim from critics, several of whom thought the rescheduled shows were worth the wait and praised the production and her vocal performance.

[12][13] The Guardian's Ben Beaumont-Thomas commented that since Vegas residences had been frequent among artists who were past their commercial peak, Adele was an outlier.

But he thought it suited her situation due to its proximity to her son and his father's residence, her aversion to touring giant venues, and the intimate material on 30, which would resonate better with a smaller audience.

"[31][32] She appeared to give credence to media reports claiming she had "creative differences" with the original stage designer, Esmeralda Devlin, and Caesars Palace.

[50][51] The shows do not include any costume changes,[52] but Adele dons a distinct floor-length black gown every weekend to make sure she remains "authentic" according to stylist Jamie Mizrahi.

[54][55] Adele also wore Harris Reed's first design for Nina Ricci, a custom gown by Stella McCartney, and brands like Versace, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Paco Rabanne, and Proenza Schouler.

[50] During "I Drink Wine", a chandelier made of hundreds of glasses which sparkle with golden light drops into the space where she and her pianist have been performing, and the curtain of panels expands to reveal a band and background singers.

[59] She briefly vacates the stage to allow for production elements to be set up for the following performances, while a pre-recorded video of her singing "Cry Your Heart Out" is presented on the screen.

[60] Adele sings "When We Were Young" while walking through the audience and asking about their favourite childhood memories, as confetti with Polaroid pictures from her life falls upon them.

[49] While Adele performs "Someone like You" and "Rolling in the Deep", joined by three background vocalists during the latter, the cameras change direction and the audience members are projected on the screens.

[64][65] During the show on 18 November 2022, Adele performed choreography from Megan Thee Stallion's video for her song "Body" during "Water Under the Bridge", which she had previously incorporated into her British Summer Time concerts.

[b] Katie Atkinson of Billboard called the performance "utterly and breathlessly spectacular" and thought the attention to detail proved that "Adele lovingly dedicated the past 10 months to creating the intimate show of her dreams".

[59] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times described the stage as "breathtaking, full of drama and elegance befitting her voice" and praised Adele's decision to embark on a residency despite possessing the ability to go on a stadium tour.

[70] The Daily Telegraph's Neil McCormick called it "intimate but spectacular, eccentric yet slick and richly emotional" and "an absolutely blockbusting, heart-soaring show packed with personality".

[60] NME's Will Richards described the stage setup as "tasteful and minimal",[74] and NPR's Bilal Qureshi and Variety's Shirley Halperin lauded the sometimes minimalistic production choices as successful in creating intimacy.

Atkinson wrote that her "powerful and nimble vocals" which form the "true centerpiece" of all Adele performances sounded ready to carry the residency to completion.

[59] On a similar note, Qureshi believed that "at center stage, the real Adele puts finely tuned physicality into every lyric" and she had, unsurprisingly, "never sounded better onstage".

[60] USA Today's Melissa Ruggieri thought that "Adele's voice was as impeccable as her sculpted eyebrows and French manicure", and Vogue's Christian Allaire believed her look suited Vegas while also maintaining her "glamorous, Old Hollywood style".

[52][73] Melinda Sheckells of The Hollywood Reporter and Zoladz thought she looked and sounded nervous during the first two songs but quickly returned to form in the following performances.

In her list of the seven best moments, Atkinson mentioned the introduction of the floor-to-ceiling screens during "Hello", the production of the "Set Fire to the Rain" performance, Adele's walk through the crowd during "When We Were Young", and the confetti showers, among others.