Michael Jackson’s Son Prince Marks What Would Have Been the Pop Icon’s 68th Birthday at Las Vegas Celebration (Exclusive)

Charlotte Phillipp, Danielle BacherSun, August 30, 2026 at 2:51 PM UTC

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Michael Jackson; Prince Jackson and fans in Las Vegas on Aug. 29, 2026Credit: Rita Barros/Getty;Denise Truscello -

Prince Jackson attended a Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show honoring his late father Michael Jackson’s 68th birthday on Aug. 29

He tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement that “it has been so special” to see his father’s legacy live on

Michael, who died in 2009, has two other children: daughter Paris and son Bigi

Prince Jackson remembered his late father, Michael Jackson, on what would have been the pop icon’s 68th birthday.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, Prince, 29, made an appearance at Michael Jackson ONE at Mandalay Bay— Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas show set to Jackson’s greatest hits — for a special celebration of his late dad’s birthday.

Reflecting on his father’s legacy, which is more recently featured in his 2026 biopic, Michael, Prince tells PEOPLE, “It has been so special for me to see the impact that this film has had.”

“It is really cool to see this new generation become exposed to his music and his message, and I am hopeful it will make the world a better place,” continues Prince, who was just 12 years old when the “Thriller” singer died in 2009.

Prince Jackson with Michael Jackson fans and cast members of ‘Michael Jackson ONE’ at the annual Michael Jackson birthday celebration at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Aug. 29, 2026.Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty

Prince’s public appearance comes several months after the premiere of Michael, starring Jaafar Jackson, Prince’s real-life cousin, as the King of Pop.

The film’s cast also includes Colman Domingo as family patriarch Joseph Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson and Juliano Krue Valdi as the younger version of Michael, in addition to Jaafar, 30, who was cast in the titular role after a worldwide search.

Prince, who served as a producer on the biopic, spoke about seeing his cousin portray his dad for the first time in Michael during an interview with ABC News back in April.

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“The first time that I saw him in person, in his hair and makeup, was really an emotional shock because I had not seen my father in a long time,” he said. “Jaafar just embodied him, and brought him back in that moment.”

Prince said he struggled to keep his cool at first because Jaafar so authentically mirrored Michael’s iconic look. The eldest son of the late music star “really just wanted to give [Jaafar] a hug” and had to take a moment to himself to process the emotional experience.

Prince Jackson attends the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Michael’ on April 20, 2026.Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty

The Jackson family’s reaction to the biopic has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Prince said, and many relatives came to watch the film being made.

“As family, we’re very supportive and every bit confident that Jaafar would perform, but I’m happy to say, I think that Jaafar greatly exceeded our expectations,” Prince told ABC News. “I am blown away by what he has done here.”

He added that seeing Jaafar portray his dad was “one of the greatest experiences” of his life.

Along with Prince, Michael is also a father to daughter Paris Jackson and son Bigi Jackson.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”