The Las Vegas Strip has gone from kitschy to mainstream. You can thank Elton John and Celine Dion for pioneering the idea that relevant, current performers could take up residency on the Strip without sacrificing their credibility.
John and Dion, however, while huge stars at the time of their residencies, were already oldies acts. They might have still been relevant, but their core audience fit the Las Vegas Strip model that has made Donny Osmond and Wayne Newton enduring stars who sell out shows multiple nights per week.
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You really have to turn to performers like Lady Gaga, who has an ongoing residency with MGM Resorts International (MGM) , and Adele, who does the same for Caesars Entertainment (CZR) for fully removing the stigma.
Acts like Bruno Mars, Carrie Underwood, and Katy Perry all play, or have played, extended Las Vegas Strip residencies, and these have been good for their careers.
While a residency used to be a sad cash play for the end of an artist's career, it has now become a way to play for fans without the expense or hassle of touring. It's also a way for arena-level acts like Gaga, Mars and Adele to play in more intimate venues while still generating the income they need.
The Las Vegas Strip has also become a place for all types of music. A country performer may sell out one venue while a few blocks over a DJ or electronic dance music star will headline a sold-out show.
One of the biggest names in electronic dance music will be coming to the Strip for a two-year run.
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Image source: John Shearer/Getty Images for Katy Perry
Fontainebleau Las Vegas tries to find its way
Fontainebleau Las Vegas had a remarkable 20-year odyssey from its original ground-breaking to its opening late last year. The project went through multiple owners and was left for dead many times.
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When it finally opened, however, the North Strip resort has struggled to find an identity. It's also a resort casino that's on a part of the Strip where its neighbor is the much larger Resorts World Las Vegas and Circus Circus, a family-friendly resort casino that's not attracting much drop-by traffic.
The North Strip may be Las Vegas's next big thing, but at the moment it's a lot of open land, promise and risk. Resorts World has become a destination partly because it's a giant spectacle. It has also hosted Perry's residency, and Carrie Underwood and comedian Kevin Hart currently have dates booked at Resorts World Theater.
Fontainebleau has not had the same top-tier artist lineup, and it's trying to change that by hosting EDM star David Guetta for an unprecedented two-year residency.
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EDM star coming to Fontainebleau Las Vegas
While Guetta may not have the same name recognition as Mars, Gaga or Adele, he's a huge star in the EDM world.
More Las Vegas Strip:
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- Las Vegas Strip casino signs huge rock band for exclusive shows
"Guetta is a musical trailblazer and an international icon," according to a Fontainebleau news release. "Currently the #12 most streamed artist on Spotify globally and with 2x Grammys awards, 13x Grammy nominations, 7x UK number 1 singles, over 40 billion global streams, 50 million records sold worldwide, and over 70 million monthly Spotify listeners to his name, he has been voted the world's best DJ in the DJ Mag 'Top 100' four times and won the accolade for best electronic artist at the MTV Europe Music Awards."
He may not be Elton John, but in his world he's as big as it gets. Guetta will be in residency at Fontainebleau Las Vegas and Fontainebleau Miami Beach for a two-year U.S. residency beginning in 2025.
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He will perform at Fontainebleau's LIV nightlife and LIV Beach daylife experiences, with additional resort-wide performances in both Las Vegas and Miami.
"David is a once-in-a-generation talent who embodies the charisma and class that defines the Fontainebleau brand. He's a natural fit for the luxury lifestyle and vibrant energy of LIV and LIV Beach, and his presence underscores Fontainebleau's status as a global entertainment destination featuring the artists that audiences want to see" said Fontainebleau Development CEO Jeffrey Soffer.
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