Riding a hit album and an international tour, Morrissey is playing four shows at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas this summer.
The dates are Aug. 14-15 and 18-19. Tickets go on sale at noon on May 1 (go to morrisseycentral.com/tour for intel).
The run marks Morrissey’s debut at Encore Theater. Such a run is often referred to as a “residency,” but this one is not. An “extended engagement” covers it.
The series is in support of “Make-Up Is A Lie,” Morrissey’s latest album, which has cracked the top 10 in the U.K. Album Charts and is the 10th solo album to reach that chart’s top 10.
This is the 66-year-old frontman’s 26th album to chart in the U.K., counting his days with The Smiths, which he co-founded in the early 1980s. The tour also taps into “Deluxe Notre-Dame EP,” due for release June 19.
Morrissey has a long and well-documented history of provocative, polarizing comments. He once blamed Beyoncé for the near-extinction of the rhinoceros at a Los Angeles show in 2013, quoted by Rolling Stone, “The rhino is now more or less extinct, and it’s not because of global warming or shrinking habitats. It’s because of Beyoncé’s handbags.”
Also, he described soccer legend David Beckham and his wife, former Spice Girls member Victoria Beckham, as “insufferable” and said they should be “dragged to the edge of the village and flogged.”
A frequent Las Vegas headliner, Morrissey also has a history of late cancellations, including three shows at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan from 2012-2013, citing illness. He also postponed his first two shows of ‘26, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. and San Diego Civic Theatre, “due to an adverse reaction to a prescription medication,” according to morrissey-solo.com. Several websites list all of his canceled shows.
But Morrissey continues to rack up album sales and critical acclaim. Mojo Magazine, a prominent music monthly in the U.K., referred to the new album as, “His most convincing howl for ages.” For the artist who once intoned, “I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour / But heaven knows I’m miserable now,” it is not a small statement.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.