Key Takeaways
- Prince Jackson led fans in a “Happy birthday, Michael!” chant at Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE show in Las Vegas, marking what would have been his father’s 68th birthday.
- The rare appearance followed Prince’s tribute at the Michael biopic premiere, where he wore an armband made from the red corduroy fabric his father often wore during his childhood.
- Paris Jackson also released “The Breeze” and “Just Me and You” on Michael’s birthday but called the music “a letter” and “a poem of the sonic variety,” not a formal tribute.
Prince Jackson stepped back into the spotlight over the weekend to honor his late father, Michael Jackson, on what would have been the King of Pop’s 68th birthday. The 29-year-old made a rare public appearance in Las Vegas on Saturday, August 29, joining fans at Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE show for a birthday tribute.
In video footage obtained by Page Six, Prince stood with the crowd and raised his right hand as fans counted down together. On three, they shouted, “Happy birthday, Michael!”
Prince kept the look simple for the occasion, wearing a black backward ball cap and a black shirt while spending time with attendees at the venue. He was also seen chatting with fans and signing autographs.
The Vegas appearance comes after Prince paid another public tribute to his father earlier this year at the Los Angeles premiere of Michael, the 2026 biopic about the singer. Prince, who served as an executive producer on the film, wore a red armband over his suit that was directly connected to his childhood memories of his dad.
“Michael Bush was the costume designer for my father; he designed the suit that I was wearing,” Prince said at the time. “And actually, the armband was made out of the fabric that my dad would always wear — the red corduroy shirt. And that was my childhood, like if I hugged my father, that was what he was wearing.”
Prince is the eldest of Michael Jackson’s three children. Michael shared Prince and Paris Jackson, 28, with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, whom he married in 1996 before they divorced three years later. Michael’s youngest son, Bigi Jackson, 24, formerly known as Blanket, was born via surrogate.
The birthday tribute also follows a stretch of renewed public attention around the Jackson children. Paris Jackson recently released a double-single, “The Breeze” and “Just Me and You,” on Michael’s birthday, though she made clear on Instagram that the music was not meant to be read as a formal tribute.
“it’s not a tribute. it’s not a commemoration. it’s not a demonstration of any kind,” she wrote. “it is a letter. it is a poem of the sonic variety.”
Paris has also recently spoken about her family history, including reconnecting with Rowe when she was 15. On Call Her Daddy, she recalled their first meeting as low-key, saying she came downstairs, saw Rowe in the living room with her grandmother, and said, “Hey, Mom.”
Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at age 50 from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication.
