Britney Spears has begun her set of shows in Las Vegas with a performance that looks strikingly like the Cirque du Soleil productions found elsewhere on the Strip.

The debut of Spears's long-term casino gig on Friday kept an audience of about 4,500 on their feet for 90 minutes.

The spectacle included acrobatics, a ring of fire, confetti, a live band, frenetic costume changes and a frequently airborne Spears.

Spears, 32, has signed on to perform 50 shows each in 2014 and 2015 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

She is set to perform some of her biggest hits, including "Oops. I Did It Again," "...Baby One More Time" and "Toxic."

A spokeswoman for Planet Hollywood parent company Caesars Entertainment Corp., said Spears sang along with a recorded track of her vocals which is intended to help her through the more physically grueling sets.

The opening night for the show, called Piece of Me, was attended by fellow-singers Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus.

She is a somewhat different headliner in the Las Vegas strip, which has previously been associated with older acts moving into semi-retirement, most famously Elvis Presley, Liberace and the Rat Pack.

More recently, the city has boasted the successes in the form of  Shania Twain, Elton John and Celine Dion.