Its been more than 15 years since Celine Dion took up her first residency at Caesars Palace Las Vegas in 2003. Entitled A New Day…, the concert series ran for four years and reshaped the entertainment landscape in Vegas. (Dion returned to Caesars in 2011 with a second show that earned over $20 million dollars that year.)
Dion was soon joined by a who’s who of divas like Britney Spears, Cher, Bette Midler, Toni Braxton, and Sir Elton John to jump on board, with queer audiences leading the charge to make residencies a major part of the Vegas scene for years to come.
Now a spate of new acts are about to set up house in the glittering desert oasis.
Here is your list of A-list acts you might get to see this year if you’re lucky enough to score tickets. But, then Vegas is all about luck, isn’t it?
1. Celine Dion
The voice that started it all announced in September 2018 that her long-running residency would be coming to a close. If you haven’t seen her show (and you should), you can still catch her at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace through June 8, 2019.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq-9-L2FmXF/
2. Reba McEntire
Our favorite red-haired country crooner, Kelly Clarkson’s mother-in-law, and longtime ally (with 35 #1 hits to her name, by the way) returns to Caesars Palace this June and July as she shares the stage with co-headliners Books & Dunn for a handful of shows.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuSl_qXHWIa/
3. Lady Gaga
This diva’s Little Monsters collectively lost their minds when Gaga announced she would take up residence on the Vegas Strip with not one, but two, shows: Enigma, a grand stage spectacular that features all her well-known hits; and Jazz & Piano, an intimate performance of the singer/songwriter/actress’s award-winning repertoire. Catch her at the brand-spanking-new Park MGM.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bug-bHrHvuD/
4. Janet Jackson
Janet announced in February that she would share Gaga’s new home at the Park MGM Park Theater for her show, Metamorphosis. The press announcement for the spectacle promises fans will be treated to “electrifying visuals, explosive dance numbers” and more. The show debuts in May.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtVItp7hxdy/
5. Christina Aguilera
Xtina fans apparently got their “Genie in a Bottle” to grant a wish earlier this year when The Voice coach and former Disney diva announced she would perform 16 shows at the Zappos Theater in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino starting May 31.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsV8g0GBIzy/
6. Backstreet Boys
OK, so maybe the guys who make up our favorite boy band aren’t divas like some of the other entries on our list, but these crooners have an undeniable gay following so we’ve included them here anyway. Scream your teenage heart out as Nick, AJ, Howie, Kevin, and Brian sing and dance their way through all the hits you love in their Larger Than Life show that runs through April at the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9r-ckXGYqE
7. Gwen Stefani
Since we’re already hanging out at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater, why not catch the No Doubt front woman large and in charge at her Just a Girl show. We promise you this sh*t is bananas and—best of all—Stefani has shows scheduled through the rest of the year.
8. Cardi B
On the heels of Time magazine naming her one of 2018’s 100 most influential people in the world, the rapper/singer/songwriter who first took over the charts with “I Like It” announced she’s taking up residency at the KAOS dayclub/nightclub in the Palms Casino Resort starting in April. We like it too.
9. Calvin Harris
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br5IvK2Bazm/
OK, sadly, Harris, who is arguably the world’s most famous singer/songwriter/producer/DJ is not gay. However, the super-tall Scottish sex bomb has remixed some of our favorite tracks from Ariana Grande, Frank Ocean, Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Sam Smith, and Florence and the Machine, which makes him A-OK in our books. If you feel like shaking it out, you can catch him spin his catalog of chart-toppers regularly at OMNIA nightclub at Caesars Palace.
