The best Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas for children are Mystere, O and Ka. Which to pick will depend on personal tastes.
Why book a Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas?
The Cirque du Soleil shows are one of the major selling points of Las Vegas. These permanent shows – usually in purpose-built theatres – are extraordinary spectacles with breathtaking acrobatics combining with gorgeous costumes, music and stage design.
How many Cirque du Soleil shows are there in Las Vegas?
At the time of writing, there are five Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas. These are Mystere at Treasure Island, O at the Bellagio, Mad Apple at New York New York, Ka at the MGM Grand and Michael Jackson One at Mandalay Bay.
Are Cirque du Soleil shows suitable for children?
Most Cirque du Soleil shows are suitable for most children. Adult references tend to be nodded to rather than presented front and centre. There’s barely any language used at all, let alone strong language.
More to the point, children will be wowed by the acrobatic feats and usually charmed by the sense of whimsical magic that runs through the storytelling.
The Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil shows are not just suitable for children – they’re highly likely to be the highlight of a child’s visit.
The best Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show for children
Of the five Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil shows, you could make an argument for any of them being the best depending on personal tastes. Mad Apple is the newest addition, the cheapest Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show and least suitable for children. It has more of a saucy cabaret vibe to it, and there’s a minimum age limit of 18.
Michael Jackson One is based around Michael Jackson’s music, and thus enjoyment levels will be related to how much you enjoy his work. For most children, this will be mum and dad’s music rather than their own.
So, if visiting Vegas with kids, I’d personally narrow down the choice of Cirque du Soleil show to one of three – Ka, Mystere and O.
Ka vs Mystere vs O
Of the three, Ka has arguably the most coherent storyline and jaw-dropping set pieces. It has more basis in martial arts than the other two. The war theme may be too much for some younger children.
Mystere is the longest-running Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, and is the great all-rounder. There’s a great mix of clown antics, acrobatic feats and inventive multi-artist segments. As an introduction to what Cirque du Soleil does, Mystere is ideal.
My favourite Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, however, is O. I’m not alone in this – the tickets for the water-based O are usually most expensive. But the giant pool on stage, artistic swimming and diving from trapezes into the water give it an extra level of grace.
Therefore, I’d say the best Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas for children is probably Mystere, but slightly older children will be more enthralled with O.
Other Las Vegas shows for kids
Other Las Vegas shows that kids will likely enjoy include the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur and the Blue Man Group at the Luxor.
More Las Vegas information
Other Las Vegas travel tips on Planet Whitley include:
- My number one tip for visitors to Las Vegas.
- Is the Las Vegas Neon Museum better by day or by night?
- 101 things to do in Las Vegas besides gamble.
- Which hotels are on the Las Vegas Monorail?
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