Trail-blazing headliner signs with Strip entertainment giant

Wynn Nightlife has booked an international superstar with a strong bond with its clubs.

Calvin Harris is returning to the Strip in an exclusive, two-year residency at XS Nightclub and Encore Beach Club. The famed Scottish DJ and Grammy Award-winning producer’s first dates are Jan. 16, Feb. 13 and Feb. 21.

Harris will perform pool parties and late-night club sets. Expect chart-busting hits and Harris’ characteristic stage innovations, including (we anticipate) rampant party cannons.

Harris’ partnership with Wynn Nightlife began in 2011. He has since headlined an array of clubs with Tao Hospitality Group (Hakkasan at MGM Grand, Omnia at Caesars Palace, Marquee at the Cosmopolitan and Tao at The Venetian among them), and also LIV Nighclub at Fontainebleau.

“Calvin’s been part of the family for over a long time, in and out of the property, so we’ve always kept in contact,” Wynn Nightlife Vice President Ryan Jones said in a phone chat Wednesday. “He’s always been a great supporter of ours and a great partner of ours.”

Harris’ shows are slotted around the renovations planned for XS beginning in September. That work will take about four months.

“We’re very excited for (renovations), and Calvin is going to fit in easily,” Jones said. “He’s going to have a few dates in Q1 (January through April) and then strategically placed throughout the year. The renovation won’t slow us down.”

Harris has taken time off to start a family. He and his wife, Vick Hope, announced the birth of their son, Micah, on July 20.

“It was time for him to come back into the market,” Jones said. “It just made perfect since, and we struck a two-year deal with him.”

The 41-year-old Harris has become one of the most in-demand headliners ever in electronic music. He is a pioneer of mixing electronic, pop, and funk into award-winning tracks. Harris has amassed billions of streams, buoyed by such international hits as “We Found Love” with Rihanna, “One Kiss” with Dua Lipa, “I Need Your Love” featuring Ellie Goulding, and “Promises” with Sam Smith.

Harris has consequently expanded his appeal beyond his EDM base.

“What’s great about the property, as a whole, is we don’t cater to one demographic. We cater to all demographics, and not just in the nightclubs,” Jones said. “We try to hone in on that, and make sure that we have something for everybody.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.