7 must-see Las Vegas shows for 2026

This is the list where Dolly Parton shares the bill with Princess Leia. We have a show in English and Spanish, another entirely in Korean.

It is our annual, subjective, criteria-proof list of 7 Shows to Catch in ’26. These are productions and headliners to watch, for entertainment and as trend indicators, and only to be seen in Las Vegas:

No Doubt

The reunited lineup of Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young is playing 18 sold-out shows in May and June. We hadn’t envisioned No Doubt as a possible headliner when taking the hard hat tour of the Sphere months before it opened. Could they possibly fill this venue? The 30th anniversary of “Tragic Kingdom” is close enough (the album was released in October 1995) as a solid benchmark for this production.

The demand for No Doubt is undeniable, with two six-show extensions after the original half-dozen were announced in October. This box office rush is largely due to No Doubt’s scarcity of live shows. This is the band from Orange County’s first run of performances in 14 years, since its “Seven Night Stand” in L.A. in 2012, and its first full live show since Coachella in 2024.

Silent House producer-creative director Baz Halpin is working on this show, bringing Sphere experience with his work on U2, Eagles and Backstreet Boys.

Kanal says the band is deep in the creative process. “You think that you have a lot of time, but you don’t,” he said in an interview with Consequence digital media publication. And you really have to make decisions ahead of time so they can start building the content and rendering it in that very high-res way they need to do it for that place.” The set list has been decided. Go to “Tragic Kingdom” for a blueprint.

Dolly Parton

She’s rebooked for six shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace from Sept. 17-26. Parton was an instant sellout on her original December schedule. Those shows were taken down and moved after she disclosed complications from kidney stones prevented her from flying or rehearsing.

Parton’s health concerns sparked concern internationally that she might be in dire straits (the condition, not the band). She addressed those worries, Dolly-style, in October. “I know lately, everybody thinks I’m sicker than I am,” Parton said in a video message, wearing a frilly, western-cut top and black slacks while seated in front of a green screen. “Do I look sick to you? I am workin’ hard here! … I am a person of faith. I can always use prayers for anything and everything. But I want you to know that I’m OK. “

‘Atomic Saloon Show’

Why “Atomic?” I’ve always liked the Mel Brooks, “Blazing Saddles”-inspired writing (“Ahm like a saloon door, I swing BOTH Ways!”) and Spiegelworld’s ever-reliable aerial acrobatics, some hand-balancing, a hula-hoop number and barbed jocularity from lead character/brothel owner Boozy Skunkton. This show has developed a kind of spin-off character with Colin Cloud’s Blue Jackson Five. You could build a whole show around those grooving, satin-clad cowpokes.

This show at The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian has lived in the shadow of the “Absinthe” juggernaut since opening in September 2019. We’d like not to report a Spiegelworld closing, with “DiscoShow” at Linq Hotel shutting down the first week of January, though Diner Ross Steakhouse and the bars Prince 99 Bar and Glitterloft will remain open.

Spiegelworld’s founder and “Impresario Extraordinaire” Ross Mollison is a risk-taker. As such, he’s put up shows that are artistically inspired (“Vegas Nocturne” and “Opium”) that have nonetheless not made money. But he has a culinary hit with Superfrico at Cosmopolitan, paired with “The Party” dinner show. And the possibility of another “Absinthe” blockbuster is out there. For that potential, and Mollison’s brazen approach to business, we support.

Hilary Duff

“Lizzie Live!” could be the title of Duff’s six-show sojourn at Voltaire at The Venetian. Those with a keen eye on the box office anticipated swift sales. That has happened, with Duff selling out her Feb. 13-15 dates immediately. She added three more for May 22-24 and wiped them out, too.

Duff gained a huge fan base as “Lizzie McGuire” in that Disney Channel series in the early 2000s. As a pop star, she charted with “So Yesterday” and “Come Clean.” These are her first live shows in a decade, and expect her to premiere “Mature,” the first single from her upcoming album, “Luck… or Something” due for release Feb. 20. And she has 27 million social-media followers, the vast majority (we deduce) who have never seen her perform live.

Duff follows Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera and Leona Lewis as Voltaire headliners who have created high demand. Lewis had never played a date in the U.S. before “Starry Night,” a Christmas show, and called two shows in that stretch because of vocal concerns. Another unique booking ‘The ’90s After Dark Party” with Tori Spelling and Brian Austin Green set for Sunday, was called off as Spelling announced unspecified health concerns. So it’s handy for Voltaire to run a sold-out series, with Huff’s fans showing the love on Valentine’s Day weekend.

Marc Anthony

The Latin superstar is at the center of “Vegas … My Way!” a 10-show series at Fontainebleau’s BleauLive Theater. The production runs Feb. 13-21 and July 24-Aug. 1. The series title is a nod to Anthony’s appreciation for Frank Sinatra.

Anthony’s show marks his first Las Vegas residency, though Anthony has played the city several times on tour, most recently at Michelob Ultra Arena in February 2024.

Anthony will perform English- and Spanish-language hits over his 30-year recording career. He says this show is tailored to his Vegas audience, expecting to draw from the Latin and Hispanic fan base in Las Vegas. “The Latino community has always been a factor. I mean, you stop and you think about the fact that that’s where that community chooses to spend Independence Day, the big fight nights,” Anthony said in November. “As far as sports and holidays, I believe it’s just the beginning.”

Taemin and Baekhyun

Pairing the K-pop superstars’ back-to-back shows at Dolby Live on Jan. 16-17, respectively. They are the first K-pop headliners at the venue. This is because they are two of the genre’s hottest solo artists.

Taemin comes to Las Vegas after an active 2025 touring schedule. He is known for gender-bending theatrics and a career dating to his time with SHINee (2008), and later SuperM (2019), a group led by Baekhyun. The latter came to fame with the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo in 2012.

These artists might not be as familiar to mainstream U.S. audiences as, say, Dolby Live headliners Bruno Mars or even Zayn (late of One Direction, opening in January). But the performances are explosive, and the box office spins.

‘The Empire Strips Back’

A gem at the Rio. Billed as a burlesque parody, the show has an unforgettable scene in which Jabba the Hutt and Princess Leia perform “Hypnotize” by Notorious B.I.G. Leia is in her famous dress, on a chain. Jabba, scaled to size, works his gigantic tongue. Also, the Landspeeder is washed aggressively by a sponge-wielding Princess; Han Solo and Chewbacca perform a “Chippendales”-caliber dance number, “It’s Tricky” by Run DMC, and “I Want it That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. At the same time, Darth Vader strips to a black bodysuit. C3PO takes the stage for “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I.

It’s a laugh, all the way to the bank if not the Death Star, with this crew. Light sabers allowed.