Pirate Duel Making a Comeback on the Vegas Strip — Report

By Blog


Published on: October 30, 2025, at 11:45 AM.

Updated on: October 30, 2025, at 11:56 AM.

The iconic pirate ship battle show at Treasure Island may make its highly anticipated return to the Las Vegas Strip, according to a Thursday report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. However, if Kelly Warnell has her way, it will be a limited engagement for just one night in the coming year.

A glimpse of “The Battle of Buccaneer Bay” as showcased in this nostalgic Treasure Island postcard from the 1990s. (Image: UNLV Special Collections)

Warnell, whose talent agency Stunt Alliance is based in Las Vegas and represents former performers from the original pirate show that entertained audiences near the casino moat, disclosed to the newspaper that preparations are being made for an encore on October 2, 2026.

Kelly Warnell, who heads the Stunt Alliance talent agency, is also the mastermind behind HallowScreamCon and HallowScreamFest, planning multiple Halloween events throughout Las Vegas from October 1-4. (Image: IMDB.com)

Running from 1993 to 2003, “The Battle of Buccaneer Bay” was the most attended complimentary show on the Las Vegas Strip, entertaining guests with thrilling battles between two full-scale pirate ships, complete with simulated cannon fire, sword fights, and skirmishes above and below the water.

In the early 2000s, the Strip underwent a thematic shift that led to a more risqué show in which pirates assaulted a vessel crewed by female dancers in leather outfits. The “Sirens of TI” was widely regarded as a downgrade and was finally closed in October 2013.

Warnell shared with the R-J that she has enlisted stunt coordinator Simon Rhee, known for his work on “Presumed Innocent” and “Naked Gun”, to oversee the show’s revival.

But Wait, There’s More…

Warnell also expressed plans to resurrect the Excalibur dragon, recalling her discussions with MGM about potentially reviving the legendary creature from the moat for the first time in over two decades.

The animatronic dragon, humorously dubbed Murphy after Murphy’s Law, remains in its lair within the original Excalibur moat as of 2023. (Image: YouTube/@Freddy Trap)

Upon its launch in June 1990, the 71-foot-long animatronic dragon engaged in fierce battles with an animatronic Merlin the Magician, capturing the attention of onlookers as they witnessed fireball exchanges until Merlin emerged victorious and the dragon retreated.

However, the high maintenance costs and frequent malfunctions led to the cancellation of the “Merlin v Dragon” show in 2001. The moat remained until renovations in 2010, but the dragon still exists in its lair—currently inaccessible to the public, yet confirmed to be intact by YouTuber Freddy Trap in 2023.

Don’t get your hopes too high, though. Warnell also hinted at potentially reviving the Rio’s “Show in the Sky.” Yet, when approached for comments, Rio president Patrick Miller stated he was unaware of any such plans.



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