Mariah Carey to move to the Colosseum

The singer has announced a headlining residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Carey’s production will launch in May, according to Caesars Entertainment.

Inspired by her greatest hits album, Number 1’s, the show will package all the pop diva’s smash hits along with fan favourites and songs she has yet to perform live.

“I have so many ideas for the show that I’m currently working on and am excited to perform all of my No. 1 singles together for the first time and others that are very close to my heart,” Carey said in a statement on Thursday. “My songs are the soundtrack of my life and I can’t wait to share them with my fans on stage.”

To coincide with the new show, Carey will reissue her hits compilation.

The reworked edition will include the No. 1s she has amassed since the set was released in 1998 — We Belong Together and Touch My Body among them — along with new music. Carey plans on releasing the album later this year.

Rumours recently surfaced that Carey was among the names being courted by Caesars to fill in for Celine Dion, who is taking a leave from her massive production to care for her ailing husband.

The news of a Vegas show comes at a strange time for the All I Want for Christmas Is You singer.

Carey’s live offerings, especially as of late, have been incredibly shaky. Her vocal performances on a recent Asian leg of her tour were heavily scrutinised and her showing on the Christmas in Rockefeller Centre special went viral for all the wrong reasons.

And then there’s the music. Her last album, Me. I am Mariah ... the Elusive Chanteuse, was hampered by numerous stalled singles and delays, and ultimately opened with weak sales.

And her husband Cannon reportedly filed for a divorce on December 12, 2014, just a week after Carey was said to have been discussing property settlement terms with her lawyers, reports tmz.com.

The couple is said to have agreed on a deal, but Cannon isn’t going to be entitled to any of the singer’s earnings from her forthcoming residency.

Cannon took to Twitter earlier this month to insist he wants to “move forward” and would never “say anything negative” about Carey, Femalefirst.co.uk had reported.

He tweeted: “I will never say anything negative about @MariahCarey. We are forever a family rooted in love.

“I am always an open book but personal matters are just that ‘personal.’ So please respect my family and respect the process. I have no problem being painted as the bad guy. I got tough skin. Keep going. I just pray we all can move forward in the new year,” he wrote.

Carey will make her Vegas debut on May 6. Dates for the first 18 shows have been announced and are currently on sale.