The shows I actually send people to
There are a hundred shows on the Strip and most of the lists ranking them are just the ones paying for placement. This is sorted by the night you are planning, not the alphabet. If a show is a skip for most people, I say so and tell you who it is still right for.
Worth full price
4The ones I would pay rack rate for and not blink.
Good with kids
4Family-safe and genuinely fun for the younger crowd.
After dark, adults only
8The late, loud, 18-plus end of the Strip.
Magic and headliners
3Close-up sleight of hand, big illusions, and long-run residency names.
More worth a look
7Everything else I would happily send you to.
Shows people still ask about that have closed
Half the "best Vegas shows" lists online still name shows that shut down years ago. If you came looking for one of these, here is the straight answer and what I would book instead.
Le Reve
Permanently closed August 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic closure), after 15 years and 6,000+ performances. Confirmed via multiple 2020 news sources; no reopening found in any 2026 sourcing.
Book instead: Awakening (current Wynn marquee resident show, opened Nov 2022) - see included roster entry 'awakening'.
Zumanity by Cirque du Soleil
Permanently closed November 16, 2020 (last performance was actually March 14, 2020, pre-pandemic-shutdown). Ran 17 years, 7,700+ performances since its Sept 20, 2003 premiere.
Book instead: Mad Apple (Cirque's current adults-leaning, comedy/cabaret-flavored Vegas show) - see included roster entry 'mad-apple'.
Terry Fator
Nightly Strip residency ended September 23, 2025 after 16.5 years. He now performs limited/touring engagements (e.g. a January 2026 run and an April 2026 return at South Point) rather than a standing nightly Vegas show - does not meet this roster's 'currently running resident show' bar.
Book instead: No direct like-for-like ventriloquism/variety substitute on this roster; closest genre-neighbors are Piff the Magic Dragon or V - The Ultimate Variety Show for family-friendly novelty acts.
Human Nature (Australia's Human Nature Sings Motown and More)
Ended its 7-year Venetian residency in June 2020, citing pandemic market impact. No evidence found of a Las Vegas residency return in any 2026 sourcing.
Book instead: No direct current Motown-tribute equivalent identified on this roster within Wave-1 scope.
Legends in Concert
AMBIGUOUS, not a confirmed permanent closure - the venue itself still appears to physically exist, and this is genuinely one of the longest-running tribute-show brands in Vegas (celebrated '40 years' per its own marketing), but no bookable 2026 performance dates were found on any ticketing platform searched this session (Ticketmaster explicitly returned no upcoming events). Excluded out of caution per the 'missing = null, never guess' rule rather than asserted as closed. THE CONTENT PHASE SHOULD NOT WRITE 'Legends in Concert has closed' AS FACT - it should be re-checked directly (call the venue or check legendsinconcert.com's own calendar) before any claim is published either way.
Book instead: MJ Live or Rat Pack Is Back! cover similar single-artist/era tribute ground and are confirmed running.