12 Free Shows in Las Vegas

While it’s easy to spend a lot of money in Las Vegas, there are also a lot of great free Las Vegas attractions and shows that are worth your time. There are lots of free Las Vegas Shows that don’t cost a dime, and many of them are part of the iconic Las Vegas experience. 

While sightseeing is always free, we’ve created a list of the best free shows in Las Vegas for you to enjoy. Most of these are family-friendly and great fun for kids, but you might want to keep the location and time of day in mind if you have younger ones in your group. 

The free shows themselves might be family-friendly, but the environment might not be – especially Fremont Street at night when things can get a little rowdy and adult-themed. 

Where should you start when it comes to enjoying Las Vegas on the cheap? Here are the best free shows throughout Las Vegas. 

Free Shows on the Las Vegas Strip

Fall of Atlantis Show 

The Atlantis Show has long been regarded as the best free Las Vegas show. Located at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, the Fall of Atlantis is filled with enough animatronics and special effects that appeal to kids, both young and old. After all, talking statues that tower more than nine feet in the air and huge winged dragons are pretty captivating. 

The storyline of the show follows King Atlas and the kingdom of Atlantis and comes to life with fireballs, heat waves, great costumes, and prop design as the fate of the ill-fated Atlantis comes into view. The animatronics are incredible, with more than 400 moving parts in each. For a free show, this is all pretty amazing. 

Adults and kids alike will be entertained by the top-tier animatronic work and special effects. It’s even fun if you just happen to wander by after throwing down a few too many shots at one of the local bars on the Las Vegas Strip. We also like that the Atlantis Show takes place right next to the Atlantis Aquarium, which is a 50,000-gallon that’s home to all sorts of cool tropical aquatic species. 

Catch the Fall of Atlantis Show anytime from Thursday through Monday, on the hour from noon until 8 PM. 

Bellagio Fountains 

The Bellagio Fountains are arguably the most popular free attraction in Las Vegas. While there aren’t any performers or a stage at the show, there’s no question that the performance is still spectacular. 

The Bellagio Fountains are located at the Bellagio Hotel and have been an iconic part of the Las Vegas experience since the first fountain show in 1998. The fountains cost $40 million to build and are part of a sprawling 8.5-acre man-made lake. Whenever there’s a show or movie that’s set in Las Vegas, you can almost always spot the Bellagio Fountains in the background. 

Still, there’s more to these fountains than just some water shooting up into the air. The fountains are a magnificent choreographed display of light, sound, and water that shoots up to 460ft into the air. With each fountain show, there are 1,214 nozzles at work behind the scenes, along with an engineer behind the amazing choreography. 

To add brightness to the Bellagio Fountain shows, especially at night, there are 4,792 fountain lights that sparkle and shine during each show.  

When you’re in the mood to see something beautiful and awe-inspiring, you can save money by making your way to the Bellagio Fountains for one of the most beloved free Las Vegas shows. 

Check out the Bellagio fountain schedule below:

Bellagio Conservatory 

The fountains aren’t the only free attraction to enjoy while at the Bellagio. The Bellagio Las Vegas is also home to the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which feature a changing display of botanical wonderfulness, with some shows occurring throughout the year. 

In general, you might consider the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to be one of the free attractions in Las Vegas rather than a free show. But we’re not going to split hairs because this 14,000 sq ft space transforms into a magical display of light, sound, and color. 

The displays change throughout the seasons of the year, starting with the Lunar New Year and weaving magically throughout the year with various shows and displays that highlight the seasons and holidays that mean so much to us. 

There are no set show times. Rather you can enter any time you like and enjoy the colorful, artistic, and magical surroundings. 

Free Circus at Circus Circus 

When talking about the best free attractions and shows in Las Vegas, it would be crazy not to mention one of our favorites, which also happens to be one of the most fun free shows you’ll ever see. Circus Circus Las Vegas offers guests and spectators free circus performances nearly every day, although schedules do change. 

Circus Circus is located on Las Vegas Boulevard, which makes it super easy to stop by and enjoy a free circus performance if you’re out enjoying the various attractions and entertainment options along the Strip. The free circus shows are considered to be the world’s largest permanent circus. 

The free circus acts take place at the carnival midway, with a seating section available for spectators to sit back and enjoy. The seats do fill up, so you want to arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes early – maybe even a bit earlier during peak times. 

One of the best things about the free circus show is that it’s not the same show on repeat throughout the day. The circus calendar changes over the course of the day and week, which means you can catch this free Las Vegas show more than once and not see a repeat. 

Some examples of acts you can expect to see are the Flying Poemas on their trapeze, the Free Ladderman, juggling, aerial dance, graceful aerial silk performances, circus clowns, and more. 

Performances start at 1:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, and 11:30 AM Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Lake of Dreams Show at the Wynn Las Vegas

The Lake of Dreams at the Wynn Las Vegas is nestled in an area inside the resort, so it’s only visible to guests and visitors. Even though you have to enter the Wynn and find your way to the Lake of Dreams, it’s still a free show for all to enjoy. 

There is a terrace for viewing the show as solely a spectator, but you can also have a front-row seat while enjoying dinner at either Lakeside or SW Steakhouse in the Wynn. 

This spectacular show takes place at the Lake of Dreams, a three-acre lake. It features 5,500 sparkling lights, a state-of-the-art sound system that offers a completely immersive soundtrack throughout the show, and a ninety-foot waterfall. 

Did we mention that there are also more than 1500 pine trees in the background that make the most beautiful backdrop to this stunning show?

Lights, sounds, and visuals pull you into an immersive, almost magical performance. All shows at the Lake of Dreams are free and run nightly every half hour, beginning at dusk. 

The GLOW Globe Show at Resorts World 

Las Vegas has a lot of free attractions, but for anyone who loves optical illusions and digital art, the GLOW Show at Resorts World tops the list. 

The Glow Show is a digital display spanning the resort’s LED surface, with at least ten different optical experiences taking place at the same time. The show takes place on a 10,000 sq ft display and is vivid enough to produce some “ooohs” and “aaahs” from spectators. 

Themes of various shows of GLOW include Synthwave, Neon Space, Planet, and Dance Story, but you never know when new digital experiences will be added. 

The GLOW Show takes place every hour from noon until 1 AM. There are multiple locations on the Resorts World Property where you can easily see the show. Some recommended viewing spots include both the West and East Tower of Resorts World and Zouk Nightclub. 

You can also make your way to the GLOBE inside The District, where you can see a part of the GLOW show up close and personal on a giant globe that transforms into different planets and celestial displays. 

Rainstorm Show at the Miracle Mile Shops 

While rainstorms are always free attractions, and sometimes unwanted ones, there is one rainstorm you’ll want to see at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood – and you don’t even need your umbrella! 

Make your way to the heart of the Miracle Mile Shops, where you can see what a multi-million dollar rainstorm looks like. Every hour, the Miracle Mile Shops presents a storm in the desert that includes not only pouring rain but lighting, thunder, and fog.

Showtimes are every hour on the half-hour from 10:30 am to 10:30 pm.

The Lost City Show at Miracle Mile Shops

Miracle Mile Shops has debuted a new, free show in 2023. The 3D projection show is located near the V Theater with an hourly show every day from 10 AM to 11 PM. The show uses projection mapping technology to envelop guests in a world of fire, ice, water, wind, and earth on a stone facade.

While the show has received generally positive reviews so far, many people did say they were expecting something a bit more impressive.

Eiffel Tower Light Show at Paris Hotel 

The Paris Las Vegas is where you’ll find a half-size, to-scale replica of the famous Eiffel Tower. You can buy tickets to the Eiffel Tower Experience, but if it’s only a free show that you’re interested in, the Eiffel Tower lights up the Las Vegas Strip in the colors of France’s flag – blue, red, and white. 

The Eiffel Tower Light Show happens every evening on the hour, from sunset until midnight. 

Free Shows in Downtown Las Vegas

Fremont Street Experience 

Fremont Street was what Las Vegas was all about before the Strip came to life with all the huge resorts and bright lights. Today, Fremont Street remains the epicenter of entertainment and excitement in the downtown area of Vegas. There’s always something going on at the Fremont Street Experience, and some of it is completely free! 

• Viva Vision Light Show: The Viva Vision Light Show is one of the most popular and best free attractions in downtown Vegas. The Viva Vision Light Show is the largest digital display in the world and takes place on a digital screen that’s suspended high above Fremont Street’s pedestrian mall. 

Each show is a little under ten minutes long and happens at the top of the hour from 6 PM until 2 AM. 

• Fremont Experience Street Performers: While there’s not really a schedule for these shows, Fremont Street is sprinkled with street performances that range from the tame to the obscure. You never know exactly what you’ll see, but it will, without a doubt, be high on entertainment value. 

• Free Concert Series: There are free live music concerts that happen nightly at the Fremont Street Experience, with a range of musical artists from all genres of music. Fans of rock will love the Downtown Rocks concert series that features some very recognizable names in the industry. 

When you’re in Las Vegas, you definitely want to check out the concert schedule to see which musicians and bands you can see for absolutely free! Nightly live music on Fremont Street happens nightly, beginning at 6 PM. 

Live Entertainment at the Downtown Container Park 

The Downtown Container Park is located just a short walk from the heart of the Fremont Street Experience and is an outdoor area for Las Vegas locals and visitors of all ages to enjoy. There are often different types of community events taking place in the Container Park, some of which are free. There are also a couple of free shows that you’ll want to see while you’re there. 

There are, of course, street performances and live music shows happening throughout the week during all times of the day and night. Some events can be found on the Container Park calendar, but others are just a nice surprise as you visit the area. 

One of the main stars of the show at the Downtown Container Park is a massive flame-throwing praying mantis that will have you rethinking your image of this member of the insect family. The Praying Mantis stands forty feet in the air and shoots giant balls of fire from its antennae. As if that wasn’t enough, the balls of fire can reach up to six stories high! 

The Praying Mantis show is choreographed to music that comes through a 4,000-watt sound system. This praying mantis also knows how to speak more than twenty different languages. That would be pretty impressive for a human, but for an insect, it’s absolutely phenomenal! 

There’s also a drumming circle that you can join when the praying mantis awakens at sundown. Showtimes start at sundown to 11pm Sunday through Thursday, and sundown to 1am, on Friday and Saturday. 

The Mermaids Aquarium Show 

The Silverton Hotel Las Vegas is home to a massive free aquarium that holds more than 117,000 gallons of water. The Silverton Aquarium is a tropical aquarium with literally thousands of tropical fish swimming around for your viewing pleasure. While the fish are amazing, you’ll find something even more incredible there. Real, live mermaids!

The mermaids swim around and play with the fish and interact with the audience. The mermaids do their aquatic dance, including backflips and pirouettes. This is truly a fun and mesmerizing show for anyone with a fondness for mermaids and sea legends. There are also live-feeding shows throughout the day at the Silverton Aquarium.

Tips for Enjoying Free Shows in Vegas

While the above shows in Las Vegas are completely free, and you don’t even need tickets for them, there are some things to keep in mind to get the most out of any of the free Las Vegas shows. 

First, remember that you’re in Las Vegas, which means things are usually crowded and busy. If you want a close-up view or the best seat for any of the free shows, you want to show up early. For shows that occur hourly or every half hour, usually ten to fifteen minutes early is fine. 

For shows that are less frequent, like the free circus at Circus Circus or free concerts on Fremont St., you’ll want to assess the traffic and crowds and head to your destination accordingly. For concerts, you may have to show up extra early for the best spots. 

For street performances, keep in mind that some of the performers do work for tips. If you enjoyed the show, make sure to thank them for it!

Consider the age and physical ability when searching out free Las Vegas shows. Some of the light shows might not be appropriate for people who are sensitive to blinking lights or those with sensory issues. Free shows that require long periods of standing might not be appropriate for all. Also, Las Vegas can be rowdy at times, especially at night. Even family-friendly shows might not be appropriate for younger ones due to the climate of the crowd. 

Finally, don’t forget to check out the many other free things to do in Las Vegas that are more in the category of free attractions and free events. Some of the most popular are the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino, the Ethel M Chocolate Factory tour and Botanical Cactus Garden, taking a trip out to see the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, and so much more. 

With so many great free Las Vegas shows, it’s hard to know where to even start. Many of them you can catch just by walking around the Las Vegas Strip or Downtown area. No matter which you choose, it’s always nice to remember that you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a great time in Las Vegas.