68 Best Performing Arts Venues in Las Vegas, Nevada

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 preadolescents, who get to make a lot of noise—and the realistic stunts speak to the commitment of the cast.

UNLV's Nevada Conservatory Theatre brings in outside professionals and holds community-wide auditions for four or more productions each academic year, one of them a musical. Most performances are held in the Judy Bayley Theatre on campus and lean toward more challenging titles (The Cherry Orchard, Violet) than the commercial tours visiting the Smith Center.

This mid-price (and frequently discounted) variety show has held its own against the splashier Cirque-type productions for more than 20 years. The lineup varies, but it usually has magic, juggling, and acrobatics such as hand balancing. Perhaps the real secret is the “front of curtain” atmosphere with likable performers making direct contact with the audience in an intimate setting.

Everyone loves the idea of Wayne Newton. They just don't love his singing voice, which “The Midnight Idol” fried through decades of smoky showroom performances. And so, the smart switch to a (mostly) Q&A, autobiographical format in a cozy cabaret setting. Newton is still a one-of-a-kind personality who once again plays to his strengths, turning the bulk of his current show into a live memoir packed with film clips and stories about his career and the golden age of Vegas.

Once famous as the home base for Elvis Presley, this 1,600-capacity theater (at what was originally the Las Vegas Hilton) regained some of its former profile by luring Barry Manilow out of retirement. Manilow had the majority of the theater's bookings in 2023, with the remaining dates filled in by durable acts such as Kool & The Gang.

This is no old-timey burlesque. Instead, an edgy attitude permeates this dance-intensive topless revue with impressive video and lighting effects. A comedian doing a 10-minute set is the only spoken contact with the audience. It's closer to a strip-club vibe than the more theatrical Fantasy at Luxor, which should serve as a recommendation to some and a warning to others. But even the more intense gyrations are leavened with a winking humor.