Reflecting on his early days as a resident DJ in Las Vegas, David Guetta says it took him time to warm up to the Strip.
“When I first came [to Vegas], I didn’t like it because my thing was Ibiza,” Guetta tells Billboard. “I played a lot in the U.K. [as well], and it was all about culture. Also, I was a more underground type of artist. I was playing house music. When I came [the Strip], I felt [the audience was] coming to see a famous DJ, like they came to see a famous magician the day before. ‘Wow, they don’t get it. Okay, I’ll come no more than once a year.’”
Fifteen years later, the French DJ, EDM pioneer and early adopter of the Las Vegas residency circuit is still returning. Over the next two years, he will play 13 dates at his new LIV and LIV Beach residencies at Fontainebleau, launching on Saturday (March 29).
Guetta decamped from Wynn Nightlife last year after over a decade at XS and Encore Beach Club, sparking an era of shifts in residences up and down the Strip. Kygo, also a former Wynn headliner, moves over to Tao Group and, in May, will debut his own venue and first daytime residency at Palm Tree Beach Club at MGM Grand (the former Wet Republic).
Wynn adds country (YeeDM) to its lineup with Dustin Lynch and new artists Odesza, Deadmau5, G-Eazy, Subtronics and Sofi Tukker trading off with returning performers The Chainsmokers, Marshmello, Diplo and Mau P. Zouk Nightclub at Resorts World features T-Pain, Illenium, Kaskade, Lil Wayne, DJ Snake, Nelly, Alison Wonderland, MEDUZA, James Hype and others from the worlds of hip-hop and electronic music. Drai’s stays true to hip-hop with Gucci Mane, French Montana, 2Chainz, Jeezy, 50 Cent, Gunna and Wiz Khalifa.
“I’ve witnessed the [city’s] investment of work, time, and money into the DJ culture,” Guetta says. “I’ve seen the culture evolve from zero to 100 during those years. It has been very spectacular and impressive to see the Vegas marketing machine. When they want something, they make it happen.”
Last week, Guetta tested the waters at LIV Beach by popping up during John Summit’s set to play “Beautiful People,” his latest song with Sia, for the crowd, which marks their ninth collaboration since 2011’s “Titanium.”
“I was not planning on it. I just came to say hi. I wanted to see the vibe because going to a new place is a huge challenge,” Guetta says. “Even though it looked good on paper, I needed to experience it, and then John told me, ‘Why don’t you play a few records.’ It was insane. The level of energy, also, we never played together, so I think people were shocked. Some clubs can be beautiful, but they just don’t connect, and it’s hard to explain why. But here, I felt good.”
Guetta prefers to soak up the vitamin D when asked to pick between nightclub sets and the infamous Vegas pool party. “Pool parties are insanely sexy, especially in Vegas, because it’s so early. When I play pool parties in Ibiza [at my residency at Ushuaia], it’s 9 p.m. [The beach] is all about feel good, happy music, sunshine, and that works well with the person I am,” he says.
In preparation for Guetta and the 2025 season, LIV and LIV Beach underwent a major renovation to expand seating and capacity. The two venues are now linked and operate as an indoor-outdoor day-night club with over 80,000 square feet. LIV Beach also added 33 VIP tables and bungalows. Guetta’s fellow residents include Tiësto, Summit, Metro Boomin and Dom Dolla.
Guetta has created a surprising setlist to break in the new venue, including what he describes as “big American classics.”
“I’ve been working like crazy every day, from morning to evening, on this set. I only play my records or records that I love, but I make remixes or revisit classics. It’s a lot of production work, but it gives unique content,” he says. “Vegas, to me, really represents America because you have people coming from everywhere. So I took a lot of big American classics, including rock songs, and made remixes to play for this event. More than half of the set I’ve never played before.”
The night before his LIV Beach debut, Guetta and Sia appeared at the 25th anniversary Ultra Music Festival in Miami to perform “Beautiful People” live during Afrojrack’s set. Can Vegas fans expect to see the collaborators as well?
“It’s not impossible because she lives in L.A. I might bring her one day,” Guetta says, sharing with Billboard that he keeps returning to Sia because of the “magic between them” and that she was the missing link “Beautiful People,” lingering in his files for a while. He teases that there is another yet-to-be-released song featuring the duo.
“We made another record that is absolutely crazy … so she reached out to me for that other record [initially] … then, I had [‘Beautiful People’] in my laptop for many years. I could never finish it. Speaking to her made me want to go back and try it again,” he says. “Sometimes you write a dope song, but you need to crack the code of the production, and it doesn’t always come. We have had this song for many years, and I could never nail it. The same thing happened with ‘I’m Good.’”
A TikTok sample made that track with Bebe Rexha a hit even before its release. A YouTube leak did the same for “Beautiful People.”
Much like Vegas is different now, so is the music industry. Tapping into the fans in a live setting such as LIV is imperative to Guetta’s longevity and cultural resonance.
“It used to be you did 10 to 14 songs to make an album, and then there were big meetings with the record company, and then you released three, and the record company chose the singles. Today, the fans choose, and I love it. I don’t get offended if a record flops. I’m blessed that many of them are working, but there is less pressure on me. It used to be if you made the wrong choice, you’re dead. And it’s not like this anymore.”
David Guetta’s LIV dates are May 24 and Nov. 22. His upcoming LIV Beach dates begin March 29 and run sporadically through May 31.
