Save or Splurge: Las Vegas Shows
Save
Carnaval Court. Balmy nights bring a bit of Fremont Street's crazy scene to the heart of the Strip, with this outdoor stage as well as "flair" bartenders, both right off the south door of Harrah's Las Vegas. If the band isn't your favorite, head a few yards in either direction for more free live music in the Harrah's piano bar or O'Sheas section of The LINQ Hotel, or in the Jimmy Buffet–theme Margaritaville minicasino inside the Flamingo.
Fremont Street Experience. Fremont Street's overhead canopy got a $32 million LED upgrade to keep the block-spanning video shows up to date with your HD TV at home. But more of the show is on the ground these days. Glitter Gulch has become a midway, from sidewalk musicians and artists to bar-top go-go dancers and of course, Slotzilla, an overhead zip line. Every weekend live performers play free gigs on two stages on 1st and 3rd Streets. But don't stop walking East (through the noncanopied Fremont East district) until you get to 7th Street, where sunset at Downtown Container Park usually finds a drum circle heralding the first fire-belching blasts from the giant mantis sculpture out front
Mac King. The comedy magic of Mac King is worth every penny of the full $38 ticket price, but various promotions and discounts will get the price down much further, or at least get you upgraded seating.
Splurge
Meet-and-greet tickets. When you have a lot of social media to feed, seeing a show just isn't enough. You gotta have that selfie! Fear not, headliners ranging from Carrot Top to Piff the Magic Dragon offer some form of upgraded ticket with a photo op included. Even the anonymous Blue Men sell you a $175 package that includes a meet-and-greet, choice seats, a free drink, and a piece of merchandise item.
Concert VIP section. Sure you can get a conventional theater seat for a fair price to see Zappos Theater headliners such as Shania Twain and Kelly Clarkson. But if you want to go big, try to score a VIP booth in the crescent-shape row that runs right along the stage extension. You might be paying $225 or more for a ticket, but the booth comes with a bottle of champagne and dedicated cocktail service from Drai's nightclub. And you can't get any closer to the star without being in the show. There was such demand for these in the Planet Hollywood theater that Caesars Palace remodeled its Colosseum, in part to provide a similar VIP set-up with booths and bottle service. At the Virgin Hotels concert hall, the whole second floor is a VIP wraparound; improvements to that area were part of a face-lift when the hotel transitioned from the Hard Rock.
O.Cirque's big water show has been around since 1998, but you won't ever see it go on tour. Pony up the $196 for a prime splash-zone seat, and save on your water bill when you get home.
