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Penn & Teller, still the longest run in Las Vegas history
They opened at the Rio in 2001. In June of 2026 they signed on for three more years. Nothing on this Strip stays put like that — and the show is still the one I recommend to people who think they don’t like magic.
I want to be honest about why this page exists. When Rio announced in June that Penn & Teller had re-signed through 2029, my first reaction wasn’t “great news” — it was relief. I’ve lived here my whole life and I have watched an absurd number of long-running shows get quietly folded up. A 25-year MGM Grand residency ended in April. So a duo hitting year twenty-five in the same theater, and then signing for three more, is genuinely remarkable in this town.
What makes the show worth your night, though, is something else. Penn talks constantly and Teller never says a word, and the whole act is built on showing you how a trick works and then fooling you anyway. It is the most honest magic show in Las Vegas, and I mean that literally. If you’re comparing options, my running list of the best shows in Las Vegas has the wider picture.
What the Penn & Teller show is
Four things that separate this from every other magic act on the Strip.
Magic that explains itself
Their signature move is walking you through the method and then landing the trick anyway. It rewards skeptics, which is why people who “don’t like magic shows” tend to like this one.
One talks, one doesn’t
Penn narrates the whole night. Teller performs in complete silence and gets the biggest reactions in the room doing it. The contrast is the act.
Thursday through Sunday
Rio lists the run as Thursday through Sunday at 8 p.m. Confirm your specific date at the box office — headliners take weeks off.
Twenty-five years in one room
Rio calls them the longest-running headliners in Las Vegas history, and in June 2026 extended the run for three more years, through 2029.
See what else is running →Where to get Penn & Teller tickets
I don’t have a booking card for this one — the Penn & Teller run is sold through the Rio box office. Browse everything else bookable in Las Vegas below.
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What to know before you go
Four practical things about seeing this particular show at this particular property.
The Rio is off the Strip
Rio sits west of the Strip across I-15 on Flamingo Road. It is not a walk from Caesars or the Bellagio, whatever the map suggests. Plan a rideshare each way and add time for the Flamingo crossing.
It’s a four-night week
Rio lists performances Thursday through Sunday at 8 p.m. If your trip is Monday to Wednesday, this show is simply not available to you — check the calendar before you build an itinerary around it.
Bring your skepticism, not your reverence
This act is at its best with an audience that wants to catch them. The show is structured around exposing method. Sitting there trying to figure it out is participating correctly.
Prices and times come from the box office
I don’t publish ticket prices or seat-map advice here, because both change. Rio’s official show page is where those live, and it’s the only source I’d trust on a given date.
In a city that tears down its own history every few years, Penn and Teller have been standing in the same theater since 2001 doing a magic act about telling the truth. That’s the most Vegas thing I can think of.
Lori Ballen · lifelong Las VeganBefore you go
Are Penn & Teller still performing in Las Vegas?
Yes. Rio Hotel & Casino announced on June 9, 2026 that it had extended the duo for three more years, carrying the run through 2029. They perform in the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio.
What nights do they play?
Rio lists the show Thursday through Sunday at 8 p.m. Headliners do take dark weeks, so confirm your date with the box office rather than assuming.
How long have they been at the Rio?
Since 2001. Rio describes them as holding the distinction of being the longest-running headliners in Las Vegas history — and after the June 2026 extension, that run continues through 2029.
Is it a good show if I don’t like magic?
That’s the case I’d make for it. Penn & Teller spend a good part of the night pulling the curtain back on how tricks are built, so it plays more like a smart, funny argument than a mystery act. It’s a solid pick for a 21st birthday in Vegas or a night out with people who are hard to impress.
What else should I look at if these dates don’t work?
Start with my list of the best shows in Las Vegas. If you want something on the Strip itself rather than across the freeway, the Cirque du Soleil shows on the Strip are all in Strip-side theaters.
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Lori Ballen
REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty Las Vegas, leading The Ballen Group. A lifelong Las Vegan sharing the best of the valley.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site are affiliate links. Portions of this content are generated by AI.
