Elton John to end Vegas residency

NEW YORK: Elton John — one of the major musical draws to Las Vegas — will end his residency at Caesar's Palace next year, the casino announced Monday.

The British pop legend will, on May 19, close The Million Dollar Piano, his show since 2011 at the casino's Colosseum theater where he performs his hits to an elaborate visual display that includes dozens of video screens.

Announcing the close of the residency, Caesar's Palace said John will have performed 207 shows. It was his second residency at the casino after his 243-show The Red Piano from 2004 to 2009.

John returned to the Vegas residency last week after canceling dates earlier this year due to a bacterial infection he contracted while touring South America.

There were no indications of lingering health concerns for the 70-year-old, who since the infection has gone on to tour Europe and Australia.

With a string of chart-topping hits reaching back 40 years, the "Rocket Man" remains one of the highest-grossing musicians in the world both on the live circuit and in record sales, with a new box-set due for release next month.

Las Vegas residencies — often with ornate stage set-ups as there is no need to take the show on the road — are major income generators for veteran artists, with Jennifer Lopez recently extending her concerts into 2018.

It remains to be seen if tourism, the key industry in Las Vegas, will be affected by the October 1 massacre that saw a local man open fire from his hotel window on a country music festival, leaving 58 people dead.