Britney Spears Welcomed to Las Vegas With Stripping Showgirls, Acrobats and Snake Charmers

Part of the Vegas Strip was briefly shut down as an eight-car caravan ferrying Sin City's newest star made its way to Planet Hollywood

By Natalie Finn Dec 04, 2013 3:47 AMTags
Britney Spears, 2013, Through the YearsIsaac Brekken/WireImage

Las Vegas' newest star has arrived.

Planet Hollywood welcomed Britney Spears to town tonight with a splashy, très Sin City bash that started with a block of the Vegas Strip being shut down to allow an eight-car caravan to deliver the Circus artist to what will be her performance home for the next two years.

Fans—some of them with "Happy Birthday" signs for the now 32-year-old star—started lining up early this morning to get a glimpse of Spears, who rode through the most well-known part of town in a white 1958 Chevy Impala convertible,

You know, something low-key.

"I already feel like home here at Planet Hollywood," Spears told the fans and local honchos gathered for the brief event (just 10 minutes of spectacle), per the Las Vegas Sun. "It's so nice to celebrate with this incredible welcome. I'm so excited for everyone to experience the new show. Now it's just a few weeks."

Onstage rehearsals at the nightclub-style PH Live Theatre reportedly kick off Dec. 10, with the show's grand premiere scheduled for Dec. 27. She is currently contracted to do 50 shows apiece in 2014 and 2015.

"I'm so happy to be here right now. This is my city. I can't wait to see you guys opening night," Spears said.

Spears told Ryan Seacrest at the iHeartRadio listening party for her latest album, Britney Jean, that there are "a lot of different, interesting aspects to the show and a lot of moments where the audience feels like they're in the show with us. A lot of special effects like that and it's the most dancing I've ever done."

Denise Truscello/WireImage

Britney got a break from being the entertainment tonight, however, with the spectacle instead being provided by a variety of very-Vegas performers, including snake charmers, acrobats, contortionists, six-pack-sporting male dancers and showgirls who started off in schoolgirl outfits before stripping down to teeny silver tops and short-shorts.

Planet Hollywood president David Hoenemeyer presented his new leading lady with a bouquet of roses, wishing her happy birthday and congratulations on her new album.

And after thanking all those gathered to greet her, Britney turned around and left for the airport to catch a flight back to Los Angeles.

Because that's home, too, after all.

But don't worry, Angelenos—when Britney's away in Vegas, Mini Britney will be keeping the party going in L.A.!

The pint-size blond, who does a spot-on Spears, has signed a five-year, $1 million performance deal with Beacher's Madhouse, the famed variety show at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel whose celebrity super-fans include Miley Cyrus and Kelly Osbourne.

Courtesy of Beacher’s Madhouse

Surely fans will be a slave 4 Mini Britney in no time.