Vegas Show ‘Absinthe’ Hits Major Milestone with 16,736 Shows at Caesars Palace

The long-running Las Vegas hit Absinthe celebrated its 14th anniversary on April 12, 2025, with a festive German beer-garden-themed party on the Strip. Complete with lederhosen, an oompa-loompa band, and plenty of irreverent revelry, the night marked a major milestone for the adult-themed variety show first launched in a fabric Spiegeltent outside Caesars Palace in 2011. Now a staple of Las Vegas entertainment, Absinthe has inspired multiple spinoffs and culinary ventures across the country, including Atomic Saloon Show, The Hook in Atlantic City, and Superfrico restaurants.

During the celebration, producer Ross Mollison honored Duo Vector, an original cast member who had remained with the production since the beginning. “I was in a tiny little town near Mannheim, I have no idea what it was (expletive) called, and I met these two guys,” Mollison said while flanked by the cast. “I said, ‘Look, I'm going to do a show in Las Vegas,' and they said, ‘Well, right.' They didn't speak English very well. Anyway, I said, ‘Do you want to come?' And somehow, they came. Tonight, we celebrate them and their incredible artistry.”

The evening also marked the show's 16,736th fan-participation lap dance, a cheeky tradition inspired by hula-hoop artist Craig Reed. Mollison credited the show's continued success to strong casting, timing, and a commitment to constant reinvention. Though its explicit humor has prompted walkouts over the years, Absinthe built a devoted following through word-of-mouth and expanded rapidly, adding a second cast within its first year. 

Looking ahead, Mollison teased potential new projects in Edinburgh, New York, and Melbourne, as well as a production-restaurant hybrid in Caesars New Orleans. Still, he remains firm in his refusal to create a sequel, saying he'd rather focus on fresh ideas than revisit past successes.