What a 'residency' means in Vegas
Rather than touring, many major performers and productions set up a long-term residency at a single resort, running the same show (or rotating format) for months or years. This is a distinctly Vegas model — it lets a resort build an entire venue and marketing push around one production, and lets you plan a trip around a specific show with confidence it'll actually be running.
Cirque du Soleil's Vegas presence
Cirque du Soleil has had a long-running presence on the Strip through multiple resident productions, each built around a specific theme and staged in a purpose-built theatre — this is a genuinely different experience from Cirque tours you may have seen elsewhere, since Vegas productions are built for one venue and typically use it to full technical effect.
Magic and comedy
Alongside big production shows, the Strip has a long tradition of headline magic and comedy acts running their own residencies — generally shorter, more intimate shows than the large-scale productions, and often a better fit if you want a single focused hour rather than a full spectacle.
Musical residencies
Major recording artists periodically run Vegas residencies at purpose-built or adapted arena venues — check what's currently running before you book if seeing a specific artist is the point of your trip, since residency calendars change.