Prince Jackson made a rare public appearance in Las Vegas as he joined fans to celebrate what would have been his late father Michael Jackson’s 68th birthday.
The 29-year-old attended a special event at Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE show at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Saturday, August 29.
Footage from the celebration showed Prince standing among fans before raising his right hand and joining them in shouting, “Happy birthday, Michael!”
Prince also chatted with fans, posed for photographs and appeared to sign autographs during the event.
The celebration included a fan reception and a special Q&A with guests selected by Michael Jackson’s estate, followed by two performances of Michael Jackson ONE.
Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, aged 50, when Prince was 12. Since then, his eldest son has remained involved in preserving his father’s legacy.
“As long as you celebrate them, they’re never gone,” Prince told Entertainment Tonight in 2022 while discussing his father’s death.
Prince has also honoured Michael publicly this year. In April, he attended the Los Angeles premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic Michael, on which he served as an executive producer.
For the premiere, Prince wore a black suit created by Michael Bush, one of Michael’s longtime costume designers. He also wore a red armband made from fabric taken from one of his father’s red corduroy shirts.
“And actually, the armband was made out of the fabric that my dad would always wear, the red corduroy shirt,” Prince explained to ABC News. “If I hugged my father, that was what he was wearing.”
Prince described his father as “probably one of the most misunderstood people out there” while discussing the biopic, which stars his cousin Jaafar Jackson as Michael.
Michael’s daughter Paris Jackson also marked his birthday by releasing new music featuring a previously unheard recording of her father saying, “Love you, Paris.”
