Here's the thing nobody tells you about Las Vegas in December: it's one of the best months to come. Days sit around 57°F with barely any rain, which means you can actually walk the Strip without melting – and the city responds by switching on absolutely everything it's got.
Half a million lights go up over a three-acre cactus garden at Ethel M. There's a 4,200 square foot ice rink on the Cosmopolitan's roof with its own snow machines. The Bellagio Conservatory does a winter display that borders on unhinged, for free. Residencies run all month, and on the 31st the Strip closes to traffic while several hundred thousand people count down together.
Below: what's on in December 2026 and the attractions worth building the rest of your trip around.
In this guide
- What's on in Vegas December 2026
- Shows and residencies you won't want to miss
- More great things to do in December
- What the weather is like in Las Vegas in December
- More Vegas in December FAQs
Last Vegas in December 2026 at a glance
- Temperature: around 57°F / 14°C by day, 40°F / 4°C at night — mild, not freezing
- Rain: barely any, roughly half an inch across the whole month
- Sunset: about 4:30PM mid-month, so the lights are on early
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December – and unlike most cities, Vegas mostly stays open
- New Year's Eve: the Strip closes to traffic from early evening; fireworks at midnight
- Cheapest week: early December, before the holiday rush
- Priciest night of the year: 31 December, by a distance
Best things to do in Las Vegas in December 2026
Ethel M Cactus Garden Lights
(November 5, 2026 – January 3, 2027)
Half a million lights strung across three acres of cactus – this is exactly the sort of thing Vegas does without irony. It's at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory in Henderson; it's completely free, and there's a chocolate factory attached. Perfect for some Christmas shopping or indulging in a sweet treat before walking off the guilt among illuminated prickly pears.
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
(December 3 – December 12 2026)
For ten nights, the city trades stilettos for spurs as the NFR brings the top 15 cowboys and cowgirls in every event to UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center, and the whole town leans in. Think, free viewing parties in practically every casino, line dancing where the DJ should be, and Cowboy Christmas at the Convention Center selling belt buckles the size of dinner plates.
Book early on the NFR Experience website; this is one of busiest weeks of the Vegas winter.
Enchant Las Vegas
(November, 20 – December, 27 2026)
The World's Largest Christmas Light Maze returns for a sixth season, this year themed around The Great Search. Ten-plus acres of festive fun, with an ice skating trail, 100-foot snow slides, a Christmas village and obviously.
Popular dates sell out fast, so book early on the Enchant website.
Ice Skating at the Cosmopolitan
(Mid-December to early January)
The Cosmopolitan drains its Boulevard Pool every winter and turns it into a 4,200 square foot ice rink overlooking the Strip, complete with firepits, s'mores, holiday movies and snow machines that go off through the evening. Real snow in the Mojave would be a miracle; fake snow is just good showmanship.
Bellagio Conservatory Winter Display
(Mid-November to early January)
The Conservatory's winter show is probably the best free thing on the Strip. Expect towering ornament-covered trees, animatronic polar bears and more poinsettias than seems structurally sensible. It's open 24/7 so if you want it without the crowds, why not go with your fried chicken at 2AM... this is Vegas, that's a perfectly normal suggestion!
Glittering Lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
(November 6, 2026 – January 3, 2027)
Christmas lights, but make them wonderfully easy. Cruise through 2.5 miles of spectacular displays at the Speedway from the comfort of your own car, with your favourite snacks, your own playlist, and absolutely no need to brave the cold. It’s festive, fun and gloriously low-effort – basically drive-through Christmas magic.
Las Vegas Great Santa Run
(December 5, 2026 · Downtown Las Vegas)
Thousands of people pull on identical Santa suits and take over Downtown Las Vegas for the Great Santa Run, with a 5K or one-mile route to choose from. It raises money for Opportunity Village, and your entry includes the full five-piece Santa suit, a medal, and a swag bag. Under-threes go free, which is pretty generous considering they're not exactly known for their long-distance running.
New Year's Eve on the Strip
(31 December 2026)
On New Year's Eve, the Las Vegas Strip closes to traffic from early evening, turning four miles of Las Vegas Boulevard into one enormous pedestrian party. Several hundred thousand people pack onto the Strip, with fireworks launching from casino rooftops at midnight. And yes, standing underneath that is every bit as spectacular as it sounds.
A couple of things to know before you commit: hotel rates on 31 December are the highest of the entire year, and finding a taxi when the Strip closes is basically a lost cause. Plan to walk, and wear shoes you can comfortably survive several miles in.
Shows and concerts in Las Vegas in December
December is one of the busiest months for Las Vegas shows and concerts, with the residency calendar getting particularly lively around the holidays and New Year's Eve bringing in big-name performers.
In 2026, the December calendar includes everything from Metallica at the Sphere to Nate Bargatze at Encore Theater (9–12 December) and Sin Bandera at the Pearl Concert Theater (4 December). The Sphere is also showing its immersive The Wizard of Oz production, so there's more going on there than just concerts.
For something more festive, the Las Vegas Philharmonic's A Very Vegas Christmas takes place at The Smith Center on 5–6 December, while the city's regular Cirque du Soleil productions — including O, Mystère and KÀ — continue through the month, with some adding extra performances around Christmas and New Year's Eve.
The permanent Vegas shows keep going too: alongside Cirque du Soleil, you'll find magicians, comedians, cabaret and tribute acts, many running several nights a week or even nightly.
A note on Christmas Day: Vegas doesn't really do the traditional Christmas shutdown. Plenty of shows and attractions continue on 25 December, and some put on special holiday-themed performances. It's one of the few places in America where asking "What's on in Vegas on Christmas night?" can lead to a surprisingly long list of answers.
More great things to do in Las Vegas in December
Once you've done the Vegas Christmas lights and the rodeo, Vegas still has a full deck. These are the attractions that don't need tinsel to be worth your time — and December's mild, dry weather makes some of them even better than they are in July!
Hop-on Hop-off Big Bus Tour
The most efficient way to get your bearings, taking in the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, Fremont Street, the STRAT and the Bellagio fountains. December is the month this actually makes sense — the open top deck is pleasant at 57°F. There's a night tour too, which is the best one to take for the Vegas Christmas lights.
The Mob Museum
The Mob Museum showcases the history of organised crime in America, told in the courthouse where the Kefauver hearings actually happened. Wiretap recordings, confiscated weapons, a genuinely unsettling amount of detail. There's a working speakeasy in the basement serving Prohibition-era cocktails, which is either excellent curation or an excuse for a bar. Both, probably.
The Neon Museum
The Neon Museum is where old Vegas signs go when their casinos die. Hundreds of them, laid out across an outdoor boneyard — the Stardust, the Moulin Rouge, a Hard Rock guitar the size of a house. It's outdoors, so December's cool, dry evenings are ideal. Come after dark if you can; a lot of the collection is relit.
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The Punk Rock Museum
Instruments, flyers, stage-worn clothing and a jam room where you can pick up a guitar that belonged to someone who mattered. Plus, The Punk Rock Museum tours are sometimes led by actual punk musicians, which is a very different museum experience from a docent with a clipboard. There's a bar. Obviously there's a bar.
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art
A compact, properly curated gallery inside the Bellagio, small enough that you'll never feel rushed. Pair it with the Conservatory's winter display two minutes away and the fountains outside, and you've got a genuinely civilised hour in a city not famous for them.
Red Rock Canyon
Red sandstone escarpments, a 13-mile scenic drive and trails for every ability, twenty minutes from the neon. December is the best hiking month of the year here — the summer heat that makes this genuinely dangerous is long gone, and the light on the rock in winter is superb. Bring layers; the desert temperature drops fast after sunset.
Las Vegas in December FAQs
Is it cold in Las Vegas in December?
Chilly, not cold. Daytime highs sit around 57°F (14°C), which is t-shirt-and-jacket weather, and it drops to roughly 40°F (4°C) overnight once the desert does its thing. The sun's out most days and rain is almost nonexistent. Compared to walking the Strip in August, when it's 105°F and you're planning your route around air conditioning, December is a gift.
What should I wear in Las Vegas in December?
Layers, and better shoes than you think. Daytime is comfortable in jeans and a light jacket, but the temperature falls off a cliff after sunset at about 4:30PM, and you'll be outdoors more than you expect — the Strip is four miles long and walking between two "neighboring" casinos can take twenty minutes. For clubs and nicer restaurants, dress codes don't relax for winter, so bring something smart and a coat you don't mind checking. If you're doing Red Rock or the Grand Canyon, add a proper warm layer.
Does it snow in Las Vegas in December?
Hardly ever. Snow reaches the valley floor once in a blue moon and shuts the city down with delight when it does, but you shouldn't plan around it. If you want actual snow, Mount Charleston is about 45 minutes northwest and reliably has it — there's even a skiing area up there!
What is Cowboy Christmas, and where is it?
Cowboy Christmas is the official gift show of the National Finals Rodeo, and it's been a Las Vegas tradition since 1986. In 2026 it runs 3–12 December at the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Halls, 9AM to 4PM daily, with free admission. Expect over 500,000 square feet of show floor and 375-plus exhibitors selling western wear, boots, custom jewellery, art and handmade goods, plus live stages and the Junior NFR.
What's open on Christmas Day in Las Vegas?
Almost everything. Casinos don't close on Christmas Day — they don't close at all — and most restaurants, bars and shows run as normal, with plenty putting on special holiday menus. The Bellagio Conservatory and fountains keep going, and the outlet malls generally open reduced hours. It's one of the few cities in America where 25 December is a completely normal trading day, which makes it a genuinely good option if the idea of everything being shut fills you with dread.
When does Las Vegas decorate for Christmas?
From around mid-November. The Bellagio Conservatory's winter display usually goes up in late November, Enchant opens on 20 November in 2026, and the resorts start dressing their lobbies from the middle of the month. By the first week of December, everything's up and running, so there's no need to leave it late.
Are the pools open in Las Vegas in December?
Most of them aren't. The big Strip pool complexes and dayclubs shut for the season in autumn and reopen in spring, because 57°F is not pool weather. A handful of resorts keep one heated pool open through winter, so if swimming matters to you, it's worth checking with your hotel directly before booking rather than assuming.
Is December a good time to visit Las Vegas?
It's one of the best months, with one caveat. You get mild walkable weather, lower hotel rates for most of the month, a packed shows calendar and light displays you can't see the rest of the year. The caveat is that two periods spike hard: NFR week in early December, when the whole city books out, and the run-up to New Year's Eve. Early-to-mid December, outside rodeo week, is the sweet spot for value.
Ready for your best December ever in Vegas?
So no, Vegas doesn't shut down for winter — it just plugs in more lights. Whether you're here for the rodeo, the residencies, a cactus garden wearing half a million bulbs, or four miles of closed-off Strip on the 31st, December might be the best-value month the city has. Book the big stuff early, bring a jacket for the evenings, and leave a night free for whatever you stumble into.
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