What Magic Reinvented Nightly is
Mat Franco's show is close-up magic played to a theatre. There are no tigers, no disappearing cars and very little in the way of big illusion; instead he does card tricks, coin work, borrowed-object routines and mentalism-flavoured pieces, projected onto screens so that 600 people can see the same thing a table of four would. Almost every routine involves someone from the audience, chosen more or less at random, and the show reshapes itself around whoever gets picked — which is what the title means. He has been at The LINQ since 2015, the year after winning America's Got Talent, and the show has been refreshed several times since.
The appeal is the man as much as the magic. Franco is likeable in a way that is rare on the Strip: he does not posture, he lets the volunteers be the stars, and he seems genuinely delighted when a trick lands. The result is a show that families, couples and magic sceptics all tend to leave happy, and that regulars come back to because the participants — and therefore the show — are different every night.
The Mat Franco Theater at The LINQ
The theatre is a purpose-built room of around 600 seats on the casino level of The LINQ Hotel, the centre-Strip resort that anchors the LINQ Promenade and the High Roller wheel. It is a comfortable modern space with a gentle rake, good sightlines and large video screens either side of the stage that carry the close-up work. Nothing about it is overwhelming, which suits the show; you feel like you are in a big living room rather than a stadium.
The LINQ sits between the Flamingo and Harrah's on the east side of the Strip, directly across from Caesars Palace, and the theatre entrance is a short walk from the Strip doors through the casino. The Promenade outside has a dozen casual restaurants and bars for before or after, and the High Roller is at the far end. The monorail stops behind the resort at the Harrah's/LINQ station, useful if you are staying at the MGM Grand end. For the wider area, see our centre-Strip guide.
Runtime, showtimes and age policy
The show runs about 90 minutes with no intermission. As of 2026 it plays most nights of the week with a rotating dark night or two, usually with a single evening performance around 7 pm and, on some nights, a second later show; check the official site or The LINQ box office for the current pattern. It is running as of 2026; confirm dates before booking.
Admission is all ages, and this is one of the few headline shows where that is meaningful rather than nominal. The content is entirely clean and children from around five upwards can follow it; younger children may struggle with the length. Kids are also eligible to be picked as volunteers and often are, which for a magic-obsessed ten-year-old is the highlight of a trip. Anyone under a certain age needs their own ticket and an accompanying adult; check the box office for the current rule.
What to expect and how involved you will be
Participation is the show. Franco chooses volunteers by throwing objects into the crowd, by random seat numbers and by simply asking, and over the evening a couple of dozen people end up involved, some from their seats and some on stage. Nobody is embarrassed — that is a deliberate policy and he is good at it — and the volunteers are the heroes of each routine. There is a running gag built around a photo taken during the show that pays off at the end; it is best experienced cold.
Volume is moderate, with music between routines and no pyro or strobe. There are no content warnings to speak of. The magic is strong enough to fool people who know the standard methods, and the mentalism pieces are the ones that get talked about afterwards. Photography is not permitted during the show; there is usually a chance to meet Franco in the lobby afterwards, which he does more reliably than most headliners, though it is not guaranteed.
Where to sit
For a close-up show the front matters, but less than you might think, because the screens carry the detail to every seat. The front six or so rows in the centre are the premium tier; they give you a chance of being picked, a direct view of the cards without the screens, and the best sense of how impossible the tricks are. The middle of the house, centre, is the best value: full view of the stage and the screens, and still close enough to feel involved. The back rows and far sides are fine for watching and worth it at a discount, but they lean on the screens, which slightly undercuts the point of live close-up magic.
Families with children who want to be chosen should sit on an aisle in the first ten rows; Franco uses the aisles constantly. Anyone who would hate being picked should sit mid-row, mid-house, and enjoy watching other people squirm.
Tickets and price ranges
As of 2026, tickets run roughly $60–$150 before fees depending on tier, with the front-centre seats at the top. Buy through The LINQ box office or the official site to choose seats. Mat Franco is a regular at the same-day discount booths — typically 20–40 percent off for mid-house and rear seats — and the Caesars-owned resorts bundle it with rooms and dining credits often enough to be worth checking if you are staying at The LINQ, Flamingo, Harrah's or Paris. Full booth tactics are in our cheap show tickets guide.
VIP packages typically add front seats and a meet-and-greet photo; the photo is a nice souvenir for children, and the price premium is smaller than at most magic shows on the Strip.
Who it suits, and the other magicians
Mat Franco is the magic show for families with school-age children, for couples who want to be involved rather than watch, and for anyone who finds the big-illusion shows a bit impersonal. It is the friendliest ticket in the genre. Skip it if you want spectacle — David Copperfield at the MGM Grand and Criss Angel at Planet Hollywood are the big-production choices — or if you want pure sleight-of-hand without the chat, in which case Shin Lim is the specialist. Penn & Teller is the smarter, drier alternative for adults. All of them are compared in our magic shows guide.
Verdict
Mat Franco runs the most consistently enjoyable magic show on the Strip, if not the most spectacular. The tricks are strong, the volunteers are treated well, and the room is the right size for what he does. It is the magic show we recommend first to families and to anyone who has been burned by a self-important illusionist. Sit centre in the first dozen rows, on the aisle if your kids want to be picked, and buy at a booth if you are flexible on the night.
