7 Best Performing Arts Venues in North Strip, Las Vegas

A naughty revue building on the momentum of Spiegelworld's flagship show Absinthe took its theme from the Western saloon vibe of an inherited venue in The Venetian's retail mall, creating the raucous atmosphere of a theme park revue gone off the rails. Absinthe remains a better overall introduction to Spiegelworld's approach. But those who can't get enough of the formula will enjoy this Wild West variation on the campy hijinks, including barely clad acrobats, sexy cowboys and cowgirls, and . . . a nun?

With concert stars in large theaters taking over the Strip, this successor to the long-running Le Rêve is the only big investment in year-round, general-interest shows since the peak years of Cirque du Soleil. Wynn spent $120 million dollars for an in-the-round fantasy with a sketch of a story that recognizes the impact—and potential audiences—of the Marvel comics movies. Awakening was perceived as a colossal blunder when it opened to mostly empty seats in late 2022, prompting a two-month shutdown and major makeover, with continued tinkering to strengthen and clarify the story, and to add more humor and heart. There's a sincere attempt to make viewers emotionally connect to the tale of three heroes visiting the realms of Water, Earth, and Air on a quest. The result is better at least by comparison, and Awakening is undeniably beautiful. The aquatics of Le Rêve have been replaced by a “floating” hydraulic stage in pieces, state-of-the-art video projections, and colossal puppets (by Michael Curry, best known for co-designing the original puppets for The Lion King). Performers make their way down to the stage in giant translucent chutes. Personal stereo speakers in every seat guarantee there's no problem hearing Anthony Hopkins as the recorded narrator. Patience may pay off in the long run for this very "old Vegas" idea of a spectacle you simply can't see anywhere else.

The 3,800-capacity theater at Fontainebleu geared up in late 2024, looking more to host one- or two-night concert stops rather than resident stars who would return several times per year. Keith Urban and Pitbull signed up for some of the longer runs to give the new venue some traction. Booked by concert giant Live Nation, it has a smaller capacity than venues at Park MGM or Resorts World, and three tiers of seating behind the main floor can be closed off to make the place an even cozier 1,700 capacity. The lack of fixed seating on the floor opens it up to non-performance events including TV and podcast tapings, and "Bleu Buckets," a fan event in conjunction with the NCAA tournament.

Wynn's 1,480-seat "regular" theater—next door to the circular one that hosts Awakening—has quite a history, having hosted everything from Broadway musicals to Garth Brooks's first solo-acoustic residency. Of late it's been the home base for comedians, such as Nate Bargatze, musicians including John Fogerty and Lionel Richie, even daredevil magician David Blaine. Most of the seats are on the floor, but there's a 12-row mezzanine.

Channing Tatum didn't just cash a check to lend the name of his Magic Mike film franchise to a Las Vegas effort. He was an active member of the creative team, working with the movie's two female choreographers for this male revue that debuted in 2017 (originally at the Hard Rock Hotel). The action has moved over to this custom venue, which was converted from convention space at the Sahara, again allowing for aerialists and in-the-round action. Magic Mike Live still pairs the G-string antics with a nice-guy vibe and with more wit and modesty—some gals will say too much—than the genre usually allows. 

The Strip's first permanent Cirque du Soleil show celebrated its 30th anniversary in late 2023, evidence enough that it's still the town's most consistent family show, and the Las Vegas Cirque show that most purely preserves the Montreal company's innovative reinvention of the circus. It has changed every now and then over the years as the producers try to keep it fresh, but not in fundamental ways most people would notice. Mystère has held up to the increased spectacle of its sister shows by keeping the spectators close to the action and the human acrobatics in the spotlight. You're intimately involved with this surreal wonderland and the comic characters who interact with the audience. 

This 5,000-seat theater feels grand and spacious, claiming to have the largest and tallest performance stage on the Strip. It has both a mezzanine and an upper balcony, but uses 265 speakers to reach them. The theater and its rotating list of headliners (including Janet Jackson and comedian Kevin Hart) are the true stars at Resorts World, which has no other show venues (aside from bands playing inside its Dawg House Saloon). Pit bosses might debate the merits of a unique feature of the layout: uniquely in Las Vegas, you can go straight to the theater—"turning left" past the front door—without passing through the casino.