14 Best Performing Arts Venues in South Strip, Las Vegas

The reigning king of Las Vegas afternoons has been on the Strip so long (more than 20 years) that he now greets the children of those who remember seeing his show when they were kids themselves. Ensconced at medieval-themed Excalibur, King remains ageless in his plaid suit and folksy daily greeting of "Howdy!" The actual magic takes a backseat to the comedy, which is adjusted to whomever he pulls up onstage on a given day. The one-man hour of low-key, self-deprecating humor features the kind of close-up magic—punctuated by a few more elaborate illusions—that's more baffling than you might first realize amid the running banter and audience participation.

Talk about aging in place. The comedian who once brought youth appeal to Las Vegas comedy turned 60 while performing in the Luxor theater he's anchored since 2005. The Florida native known offstage as Scott Thompson still is most unique when wielding his visual gags, and he sells his trunks full of props with a manic energy, a tourist's street-level view of Vegas, and a running commentary on the act itself, perhaps a sly nod to his eternal lack of respect.

Magic maestro David Copperfield dominates the schedule at what was once known as the Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand. The old-Vegas booths are cool, but at least half the crowd of 700 or so is packed into tight table seating. It's not very comfortable, but the sight lines are decent and the sound quality is good in a room that is, oddly, about the only part of the MGM that hasn't been remodeled since the early 1990s.

Always the same, never the same, Fantasy is a topless show (un)dressed up as a variety show, and one with amazing longevity: it marked 25 years at the Luxor in late 2024. The anniversary was celebrated with one of the show's occasional updates in songs and choreography. But the basic approach doesn't change, which may explain the appeal: It's less like a strip club and more like an old-Vegas revue, with power-pop singing by its female host, burlesque-style numbers, and magic or acrobatic acts to widen its appeal beyond the topless choreography. As such, it's not uncommon to see couples in the audience.

The Las Vegas branch of this chain books one-night concerts that tend to skew toward hard-rock and edgier fare the larger theaters tend to avoid. That said, Carlos Santana became somewhat branded with the room, and continued with some dates in 2025 after more than 300 shows there. As with other branches, rustic folk art covers the walls and the Gospel Brunch is a Sunday staple. This one differs from other locations, however, in having a balcony level with reserved theater seating along with the general-admission floor that accommodates about 1,200.

The only Las Vegas performers who don't show their faces speak with their feet. The masked hip-hop dance collective has steadily improved its showmanship since it settled on the Strip in 2010. There's plenty of break dancing but also some mime and a contagious sense of fun, as comedy and warm-hearted themes of brotherhood and inclusiveness emerge from those blank masks. The troupe's latest home in a 300-seat theater allows only four to six of the dancers onstage at the same time, but video projections expand the sense of space.

Mad Apple is Cirque du Soleil on a budget, clearly Cirque's answer to its competitor Absinthe. After the pandemic as well as belt-tightening and ownership changes within the company, Cirque downsized its more grandiose ambitions to create a modest cabaret-style show. The big departures from past Cirque shows are music and ribald comedy getting nearly as much stage time as the acrobatics. And, to further Absinthe comparisons, there's a pre-show bar right onstage in the cozy U-shaped theater that previously housed Cirque's more ambitious Zumanity. In keeping with the title and host property's theme, New York–themed songs and imagery—a yellow cab, a disco ball shaped like an apple—loosely connect the now familiar action, such as hand-balancing and a sexy aerial adagio. You probably wouldn't want to choose this one over the more mind-blowing Cirque shows if you haven't seen them, but it's consistent fun if you have.

T-Mobile Arena is now the top dog for concert acts, but home games for the Vegas Golden Knights still require a lot of big concerts and some sporting events to move over to the MGM Grand Garden. It seats as many as 17,000 depending upon the configuration. But the lack of a second deck of seating means more quality seating without being tucked under overhangs when the likes of Tyler the Creator or Alejandro Fernandez play there.  Now that MGM properties charge for parking, remember the Grand Garden is easily accessed by the MGM monorail stop for those on the east side of the Strip.

His signature glove and boots magically come to life. And so does Michael Jackson—at least in the video bombardment that comes at you from the stage, side walls, and even the ceiling of Cirque du Soleil's salute to the late superstar. Since 2013, this partnership with Jackson's estate has been blending the music-video imagery every child of the 1980s knows with Cirque's own creativity, this time leaning as much into dance as acrobatics. ONE has outlasted Cirque's Beatles tribute Love (which closed with the Mirage) and was "reimagined" (as Cirque puts it) in 2024 with new content, costumes, and impressive technical upgrades, including drones in the opening number. As in the Beatles show, Jackson's songs are given startling clarity by some 7,000 speakers and are sliced, diced, and cross-pollinated. Given the controversies over Jackson's personal life, the show is smart to steer away from biography and instead externalize the music and its messages, including hard-hitting imagery of racism and famine during They Don't Care About Us. The original through-line of four fans out to save Jackson's reputation from robotic tabloid paparazzi (Remember them? How quaint) is still floating around in there—the glove, boots, etc. spring to life for them—but is now buried deep within the sensory overload. While it helps to go in as a fan, even the less devout can emerge with a fresh appreciation of Jackson songs, both the familiar and forgotten.

This 12,000-seat arena (formerly the Mandalay Bay Events Center) has yielded the big concerts to T-Mobile Arena and become more of a sports venue after a $10 million upgrade, including new seats. It's the home court for the WNBA team Las Vegas Aces, who won the championship in 2022. Other pro sports such as tennis and concerts by the likes of J Balvin fill in during the Aces' off-season stretches. Mandalay Bay also has a great outdoor venue, Mandalay Beach, set up for general-admission concerts in the hotel's lushly landscaped pool and beach area. Both a monorail and retail mall connect Mandalay Bay to Luxor and Excalibur, so if you have to drive to a show, parking at either hotel makes for an easier post-concert escape than the Mandalay garage.

A knack for self-promotion—and an unimaginable outlay for hair products—made this comedy-magician instantly identifiable by his black-framed glasses and an exploding shock of vertical blonde hair. Murray (Sawchuck) has become a Las Vegas mainstay with a relaxed, slow-burn stage presence and a solid showcase of classic magic heavy on audience banter. When his longtime home at the Tropicana was demolished, Murray moved north for weekend shows inside the L.A. Comedy Club at the Strat.

This stylish, 400-seat showroom is a throwback to old Vegas with its coziness and tables-and-booth seating. Visitors are likely to be surrounded by locals for name comedians, tribute acts, or veteran musical acts, typical of those that play tribal casinos elsewhere in the country.

The Australian gents planted their G-strings on the Strip in 2001, as the first male dance revue to counterbalance all the topless burlesque and showgirl revues for men. With table-top dancing and a hands-on approach to their forays into the audience, the Thunder dudes relied on a low-tech, in-your-face appeal, even as Chippendales and Magic Mike Live brought more theatrical and slickly produced competition. But the Thunder struck back in early 2019, with an $8.5-million renovation of the troupe’s longtime space at the Excalibur, which now lets them cavort amid immersive technology such as LED screens and pod stages throughout the room.

A rare survivor of Las Vegas's mostly forgotten "family" phase is this Arthurian stunt show, which has lasted more than 25 years in a dirt-floor arena in the basement of Excalibur. The audience dines on a Cornish hen dinner (warning: no utensils) and cheers on fast horses, jousting, and swordplay. Those familiar with Medieval Times around the country will know the drill. The show remains a great family gathering—especially for pre-adolescents, who get to make a lot of noise—and the realistic stunts speak to the commitment of the cast.