Bruno Mars to become resident MGM performer

Pop star Bruno Mars will ring in 2017 in Las Vegas as part of a new residency deal.

The Uptown Funk hitmaker has signed a partnership with bosses at MGM Resorts International for a series of concerts at their venues over the next two years, and he'll kick off his exclusive deal by performing at Maryland's MGM National Harbor on 27 December (16), days after the venue's grand opening.

He will then stage a pair of shows at the new Park Theater at the Monte Carlo hotel and casino in Sin City on 30 and 31 December (16), and return in March (17) for a string of dates.

"Bruno is among the most talented performers in the world and we are excited to start a long-term relationship with him across our industry-leading portfolio of entertainment venues," Bill Hornbuckle, president of MGM Resorts International, writes in a statement issued to Entertainment Tonight.

"There is no stronger launching pad for a new venue than for Bruno Mars to be among the first to grace its stage, and we get to do it twice, an amazing beginning to a multi-year partnership."

Although Bruno's concert deal won't be a traditional residency, he joins the likes of Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Jennifer Lopez, who have all become Vegas regulars in recent years.

The news emerges three days after Bruno debuted the video for his new single 24K Magic, and announced plans to release an album of the same name on 18 November (16).

It will be Bruno's third studio album, the follow-up to 2012's Unorthodox Jukebox.