Vegas Shows In May 2027

Top Headliners and Residency Shows

May in Las Vegas typically brings a mix of returning headliner residencies and limited concert dates at venues like Sphere, The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and Allegiant Stadium. Expect a blend of long-running pop, rock, and country residencies alongside one-off shows from major touring acts passing through Las Vegas as part of their wider tour schedules. Confirmed 2027 lineups and dates will be added here once venues publish their May booking calendars.

Best Shows by Category

May’s permanent roster runs without interruption while festivals and residencies compete for attention. Mother’s Day (May 10) and Memorial Day weekend (May 22-25) add family and leisure travelers to the convention and festival crowds already in town.

Cirque du Soleil Shows

With five unique productions anchored on the Strip, Cirque du Soleil provides a core pillar of Vegas entertainment throughout May. Their consistent schedules offer a dependable counterpoint to the month’s more limited-engagement events.

• “O” at Bellagio – The Aquatic Dreamscape
  This is the quintessential romantic experience. Artists perform in, on, and above a 1.5-million-gallon custom pool, creating a seamless, dreamlike fusion of synchronized swimming, high-diving, and aerial artistry.
  Showtimes: Wednesday-Sunday, 6:30pm & 9pm.
• KÀ at MGM Grand – The Gravity-Defying Epic
  Experience a cinematic tale of twin siblings told through martial arts and acrobatics on a revolutionary stage that rotates into a vertical wall. The epic scale, pyrotechnics, and perilous 80-foot descents captivate teens and adults.
  Showtimes: Monday – Wednesday 6:00 & 8:30 and Sat & Sun are 4:30 & 7:00.
• Mystère at Treasure Island – The Classic Powerhouse
  As the original Vegas Cirque (running since 1993), this show delivers the timeless wonder of the big top. It’s a vibrant explosion of raw athletic power, playful clowning, and elegant aerial acts perfect for first-time visitors and families.
  Showtimes: Friday-Tuesday, 6pm & 8:30pm. Starting 5/22. Showtimes are 6:30 & 9:00
• Michael Jackson ONE at Mandalay Bay – The Pop Concert Reimagined
  This high-voltage production transforms the King of Pop’s iconic catalogue into a visual and acrobatic dance spectacle. The choreography, inspired by groups like the Jabbawockeez, turns hits like “Thriller” into breathtaking set pieces.
  Showtimes: Thursday-Monday, 6:30pm & 9pm.
• Mad Apple at New York-New York – The Nightclub Spectacular
  Offering a grittier, more contemporary vibe, this show captures the energy of a NYC night out. It blends daring acrobatics with sharp comedy and live music for an adults-oriented, socially charged experience.
  Showtimes: Tuesday-Saturday, 7 & 9:30pm.

Comedy Shows

May stacks touring headliners across three weekends, creating one of the strongest comedy calendars of the year. The first weekend alone offers four distinct flavors of funny at four different venues.

For nightly options, Penn & Teller at Rio continue Thursday-Sunday, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at MGM Grand books rotating headliners, and Comedy Cellar at Rio imports New York’s format for tight sets and occasional surprise drop-ins.

Magic Shows

May’s magic calendar offers a tactical advantage: while EDC weekend floods the Strip with festival crowds hunting nightlife, the dedicated theater shows — Penn & Teller, Shin Lim — often have better availability than you’d expect. The daytime demographic skews differently.

• For comedy-forward magic, Penn & Teller at Rio (Thursday-Sunday, 8pm) balance explanation and mystery. They’ll reveal how a trick works, then do something inexplicable.

• For close-up artistry, Shin Lim: Limitless at Venetian Theatre focuses entirely on card manipulation. The two-time AGT winner moves cards in ways that break your understanding of physics. If sleight-of-hand fascinates you more than big-box illusions, this is your pick.

• For theatrical spectacle, Criss Angel MINDFREAK at Planet Hollywood leans into rock-concert staging—straitjacket escapes, fire, loud music—in a 2,000-seat theater. The production values suit audiences who want magic delivered with arena energy.

• For afternoon family shows, Mac King Comedy Magic at Excalibur (1pm and 3pm) pairs legitimate sleight-of-hand with dad-joke delivery at prices under $50. Kids stay engaged; parents laugh at the corny bits.

Adult & Burlesque Shows

Vegas after dark ranges from raunchy circus to sophisticated tease, and May’s festival crowds keep these rooms packed—especially during EDC week when the party doesn’t stop at 5am. Absinthe at Caesars Palace remains the gold standard: a circus-cabaret hybrid in an outdoor Spiegeltent where hosts insult the audience between genuinely dangerous acrobatic acts. The show has run since 2011 and sells out because nothing else matches its controlled chaos—not for the easily offended, but essential for anyone who appreciates performers willing to risk everything for a reaction. Zombie Burlesque at V Theater offers campy horror-comedy: atomic-era zombies performing classic burlesque backed by a live big band. The 75-minute commitment at 8:00pm leaves time for late-night plans. Magic Mike Live at Sahara draws couples as much as bachelorette parties; the theatrical production values and actual choreography distinguish it from standard male revues.

Family-Friendly Shows

Mother’s Day weekend (May 8-10) brings multigenerational groups to Vegas, and the city delivers more kid-appropriate options than its reputation suggests—many of them counterintuitively easier to book than adult shows during festival-heavy May.

• The daytime Sphere experience remains the easiest win for families. The Wizard of Oz runs multiple daily showtimes (11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm) and uses Sphere’s 360-degree display to immerse audiences in Oz without requiring concert stamina or late nights. The tornado sequence triggers genuine gasps from kids and adults. During No Doubt’s residency weeks, film showtimes work around concert schedules—check the calendar for conflicts.

• For sensory-seeking kids, Blue Man Group at Luxor delivers percussion, paint, technology experiments, and audience participation without dialogue. The 5pm shows work for younger children; older kids prefer the energy of later showtimes. No age restriction, but the volume and strobe effects require consideration for sensitive kids.

• For active imaginations, Tournament of Kings at Excalibur combines dinner theater with jousting and pyrotechnics. Kids pick a knight to cheer for, eat with their hands, and watch horses charge. The 6pm showtime and 90-minute runtime leave evenings free for pool time.

• For dance-obsessed tweens and teens, Jabbawockeez at MGM Grand translates viral choreography into theatrical scale. The masked performers’ hip-hop routines reference TikTok trends while delivering technical precision that impresses dance-class kids. Shows at 5:30pm and 8:00pm.

• For quiet afternoon options, Mac King Comedy Magic at Excalibur (1pm and 3pm) and Nathan Burton Comedy Magic at Planet Hollywood both deliver family-friendly illusions with comedy that lands for kids without boring adults. Both run under $50.

Cirque considerations: KÀ’s martial arts action and occasional pyrotechnics suit older kids (8+); the weekend matinees at 4:30pm pair naturally with early dinner. Michael Jackson ONE works best for kids who know the music—the tribute lands harder when they can sing along.

May Show Dates With Most and Least Options

May’s calendar stays consistently stacked, but the number of daily listings still rises and falls predictably. Some visitors love maximum variety; others prefer a slightly slimmer slate and a smoother pace.

Slower days

Sundays tend to run lightest. In May 2027, Sundays fall on May 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.

Busiest days

Tuesdays and Thursdays are the most forgiving nights of the month. In May 2027, Tuesdays fall on May 4, 11, 18, and 25.

May Dark Weeks

May includes several long-running productions that take a scheduled maintenance break at some point during the month, which can tighten availability if your trip is built around one specific show. Below is each production’s regular weekly dark day — 2027 maintenance-break date ranges have not yet been confirmed and will be added once available.

Cirque du Soleil

Mystère (Treasure Island)

• Weekly Dark Days: Wednesday & Thursday

KÀ (MGM Grand)

• Weekly Dark Days: Thursday & Friday

Michael Jackson One (Mandalay Bay)

• Weekly Dark Days: Tuesday & Wednesday

Mad Apple (New York-New York)

• Weekly Dark Days: Sunday & Monday

“O” (Bellagio)

• Weekly Dark Days: Monday & Tuesday

Production & Variety Shows

Awakening (Wynn Las Vegas)

• Weekly Dark Days: Wednesday & Thursday

Jabbawockeez (MGM Grand)

• Weekly Dark Days: Tuesday

Tournament of Kings (Excalibur)

• Weekly Dark Day: Tuesday and Wednesday

Magic & Variety Specials

Penn & Teller (Rio)

• Weekly Dark Days: Monday – Wednesday

Where To See Shows In May

May’s demand hotspots shift depending on which event wave is shaping the week.

• Week 1 concentrates activity toward the South Strip luxury corridor, driven by HD Expo business travel.
  
• Week 3 (EDC) creates citywide pressure, with especially heavy nighttime congestion across the Strip.
  
• Week 4 shifts focus toward the Central Strip as WSOP begins, adding steady weekday lift without festival-level spikes.
  

Rather than one consistent crowd pattern, May delivers several back-to-back demand profiles each rewarding a slightly different planning approach.