Vegas Shows In October 2026

Top Headliners and Residency Shows

Nostalgia Reimagined This October, Vegas moves to the rhythm of a mixtape. New Kids On The Block light up Dolby Live with choreography so tight it feels time-stamped from the MTV era. At Caesars Palace, Rod Stewart brings his gravelly swagger back to the Colosseum — the same nights that Dolly Parton adds her country sparkle to the stage just steps away. Across town, Barry Manilow continues his farewell run at Westgate, while Goo Goo Dolls prepare an intimate, emotionally charged alt-rock residency that turns the Venetian into a memory capsule.

Spotlight Insight: Dates overlap for NKOTB and Rod Stewart (Oct 2–17), making Park MGM and Caesars the month’s busiest properties.

Best Shows by Category

October’s lineup is balanced between nostalgia and spectacle,  from Cirque’s precision to late-night burlesque and the new wave of festival weekends.

Cirque du Soleil Shows

Grab a pre-show cocktail at Bellagio’s lakefront patios,  the reflections of “O”’s banners shimmer over the fountains just before curtain.

Comedy Shows

This month, Vegas leans clever instead of chaotic. Nikki Glaser and David Spade return to the Colosseum with roast-style chemistry and whip-smart punchlines. Their back and forth has become one of the Strip’s most reliable laugh generators,  bold enough for date nights, polished enough for any crowd.

North Strip, L.A. Comedy Club at The STRAT continues its “Best of the West” series, rotating through comics fresh off Netflix tapings. For late-night laughs, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club remains the insider favorite, where unannounced drop-ins are part of the charm. By mid-month, Halloween-themed stand-up sets emerge, comics riffing on costumes, chaos, and the ghosts of old Vegas lounges.

Magic Shows

October’s cooler evenings bring packed theaters and a few seasonal twists to Vegas’s magic lineup. David Copperfield at the MGM Grand continues to prove why his name is synonymous with Vegas illusion. This month, he adds subtle Halloween-inspired visuals, a levitation sequence under strobe lights, a fleeting ghost projection, and a finale that makes the stage itself disappear into smoke. Across town, Shin Lim keeps audiences in hushed awe at the Palazzo, his sleight-of-hand so fluid it feels choreographed to silence. Each movement is measured, every reveal crisp — a perfect counterbalance to the Strip’s high-volume energy. Meanwhile, Banachek’s Mind Games at The STRAT offers something different: psychological illusion and sharp wit instead of smoke and mirrors. His minimalist theater makes every seat feel close to the mystery, a smart choice for curious travelers or couples wanting conversation fodder after the curtain falls.

Adult & Burlesque Shows

October is when Vegas gets playful with a swirl of black lace, red spotlights, and tongue-in-cheek horror.

Inside the spiegeltent at Caesars Palace, Absinthe doubles down on its signature chaos, mixing seasonal pranks with fire-breathing acts and razor-sharp jokes. Across at Planet Hollywood, Zombie Burlesque steals the season in undead glamour in 1950s club style, equal parts camp and choreography. For something more theatrical, Rouge at The STRAT adds candlelit aerial sequences and new gothic-inspired numbers for the month.

Family-Friendly Shows 

Top Pick — The Wizard of Oz (The Sphere)
Step into the Emerald City through the Sphere’s 16K dome and haptic seating,  sound, scent, and wind effects that make you forget the desert outside.

• Runner-Up — Jabbawockeez (MGM Grand): Still the Strip’s most kinetic family show. The masked troupe updates its routine with fresh tracks and audience call-outs that get kids dancing in the aisles.
• Classic Pick — Mystère (Treasure Island): A Cirque show made for multi-generational crowds,  humor for kids, grace for adults, and nostalgia for anyone seeing it again after decades.

October Show Dates With Most and Least Options

October’s show volume falls into two clear tiers rather than wide swings. A smaller set of dates finishes earlier with lighter lineups, while the majority of nights land in a solid middle range with plenty of choice. That split works well for different travel styles — lighter nights for simplicity and value, fuller nights for flexibility.

Across the month, daily show counts typically range from about 43 shows on slower dates to around 49–50 on fuller nights, averaging roughly 46–47 shows per day.

Slower days

These lighter pockets cluster around Sundays and many Tuesdays and Thursdays, making them a good fit for travelers who don’t need the broadest selection. On these dates, listings ended earlier, typically around 42–45 shows.

• 📅 October 1 (Thursday)
• 📅 October 4 (Sunday)
• 📅 October 6 (Tuesday)
• 📅 October 8 (Thursday)
• 📅 October 11 (Sunday)
• 📅 October 13 (Tuesday)
• 📅 October 15 (Thursday)
• 📅 October 18 (Sunday)
• 📅 October 20 (Tuesday)
• 📅 October 22 (Thursday)
• 📅 October 25 (Sunday)
• 📅 October 27 (Tuesday)
• 📅 October 29 (Thursday)
  

Dates with the most options

October’s larger schedules range in the middle of the board with around 48–50 shows. Fridays and Saturdays consistently offer the deepest lineups of the month, even without the extra late listings seen in peak convention periods.

• 📅 October 5 (Mon)
• 📅 October 7 (Wed)
• 📅 October 12 (Mon)
• 📅 October 14 (Wed)
• 📅 October 19 (Mon)
• 📅 October 21 (Wed)
• 📅 October 26 (Mon)
• 📅 October 28 (Wed)
  

October Dark Weeks

October’s most meaningful disruption comes from a single extended maintenance window, which matters for travelers planning around specific productions. While citywide availability remains strong, this pause can affect narrow itineraries. The standout planning note for October is “O” being dark from October 18–27. Travelers visiting during that window may want to prioritize alternative productions or plan around different dates.

Cirque du Soleil — October 2026

“O” (Bellagio)

• Weekly Dark Days: Monday & Tuesday
• October Dark Dates: October 18–27

Mystère (Treasure Island)

• Weekly Dark Days: Wednesday & Thursday
• October Status: Running as normal

KÀ (MGM Grand)

• Weekly Dark Days: Thursday & Friday
• October Status: Running as normal

MJ ONE (Mandalay Bay)

• Weekly Dark Days: Tuesday & Wednesday
• October Status: Running as normal

Mad Apple (New York-New York)

• Weekly Dark Days: Sunday & Monday
• October Status: Running as normal

Production & Variety Shows

Awakening (Wynn Las Vegas)

• Weekly Dark Days: Wednesday & Thursday
• October Status: Running as normal

Jabbawockeez (MGM Grand)

• Weekly Dark Days: Tuesday & Wednesday
• October Status: Running as normal

Tournament of Kings (Excalibur)

• Weekly Dark Day: Tuesday
• October Status: Running as normal

Blue Man Group (Luxor)

• October Dark Date: October 7

Absinthe (Caesars Palace)

• Performs nightly year-round with no scheduled dark dates.

Magic & Variety Specials

David Copperfield (MGM Grand)

• October Status: No October dark period listed.

Penn & Teller (Rio)

• Weekly Dark Days: Tuesday & Wednesday
• October Status: No October break listed.

Where To See Shows In October

October’s demand follows sports schedules and post-convention spillover rather than a single event footprint.

• Week 1 leans toward the Venetian corridor and Central Strip, driven by G2E spillover and early-season sports traffic.
  
• Week 2 keeps pressure on the Central Strip and arena-adjacent areas, tied to Golden Knights games and football weekends.
  
• Weeks 3 and 4 remain broadly steady, with weekends continuing to be the strongest driver of crowd density.
  

For planning purposes, the most consistently sensitive areas are the Central Strip, Venetian corridor, and sportsbook-heavy resorts, particularly on weekends.