Phish returns to Sphere in Las Vegas for a 9-show residency across three weekends starting on April 16. We blinked and realized it was a week away!
As Phish fans gear up for the highly anticipated return to the Las Vegas Sphere, we figured a travel blog was in order. We’ve been to the last four Phish runs in Vegas and have visited Sin City several other times over the years.
Read on for a closer look at the Phish Sphere residency with plenty of tips for what to do and where to eat & drink in Fabulous Las Vegas.
Phish Sphere Then and Now
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Sphere by now. Before we go any further, yes, it’s just called “Sphere” and not “The Sphere.” You know, kinda like Eagles, who Rachel actually saw at Sphere! “The” is so played out anyway.
This $2 billion orb in the desert is a state-of-the-art venue with about a million LED lights, a killer sound system, and haptic seats. You can literally feel the music and be vibrating with love and light at this place.
U2 was the first band to headline this ridiculous venue, and Phish was next in line. While U2 played a long residency over several months with the same set night after night, Phish came in for four nights and did no repeats – songs or visuals!
In addition, Trey Anastasio wrote a bunch of original ambient music that played over the speakers in the hallways and bathrooms. When you stepped through that curtain, it was like being in a totally different world.
Phish Sphere Tickets
I was in attendance for the first three shows on that first Phish Sphere run, thanks to colleagues, cousins, and friends of friends. It was such a hot ticket, and I still can’t believe I got a miracle Sphere-acle one night and only paid $150 each for the other two. Jah bless.
Two years later, ticket prices have gone up just like everything else. Despite there being nine shows over three weekends, all shows sold out, and tickets have been hard to come by.
I managed to pull one 3-day floor pass on Ticketmaster, which I guess means I got the last one because it would not let me get two. Thanks to some wheeling and dealing and a legend on CashorTrade, we are both going on the floor for Thursday and Friday and will be up in the 400s on Saturday.
For the past few months, fans have been faced with paying way over face or skipping the Sphere run entirely. It looks like scalpers are finally caving in, though, and plenty of fans are listing extras at face value if they can’t make it or friends had to back out.
If you’re still ISO, I think it’s actually going to be pretty easy to get into the shows. Saturday nights will be the most difficult on all three weekends, but I’m seeing a bunch of deals for below face on CoT for 3-day passes, so that’s encouraging!
What’s the Best Seat at Sphere?
This all depends on you and what kind of vibe you want. We haven’t been on the floor yet, but between the two of us, we’ve been in every area. I loved being up in the 400s for Phish to see the screen in all its glory.
Rachel had a great time being in the 300s with her folks for Eagles, and they enjoyed it as well. I managed to sneak down into the 200s for the encore one night to catch a glimpse, and it was fine – I just don’t think it’s that much better than being up top, to where it warrants a higher price tag.
The 100s are awesome if you aren’t under the overhang. It starts around row 24 and gets worse and worse as you go back. It’s honestly annoying that these seats even exist at this venue.
But hey, if you just want to see Trey make goofy faces and check out Mike’s shoes, you’ll be fine under the overhang. It’s certainly the cheapest way in!
I’ve heard nothing but good things about being on the floor, and I’m stoked we get to try it out for the first two nights. I’m sure we’ll be glad to have a seat by night three as well.
Pre and Post-Show Fun
Vegas wants you in the casinos and clubs, so naturally they don’t want there to be a lot scene. I got to experience a Phish Vegas lot scene in 2004 on my high school spring break, and it was glorious. Too bad Phish was falling apart, and those shows broke up the band…
But here we are – 22 years later – with nine shows at Sphere! The circus comes to town with Phish, and despite the lack of a lot, plenty is going on before and after the shows.
For the whole run, fans can hit up Shakedown at the Tuscany Casino for live music and a vibrant market full of shirts, hats, jewelry, stickers, pins, and all the wook shit you know and love. It goes from 11 am – 7 pm before the show, and then the party keeps rolling after the show.
You won’t find grilled cheese and Sammy Smith here, but you’ll find a great vibe that sure beats hanging out on a casino floor with normies.
Every Friday of the run, you can check out Phan Art at the Brooklyn Bowl from 12-5. Check it out and support fans and their amazing creations! There’s going to be a wook comedy show there as well, which I’m very excited to check out because there’s just so much to make fun of in this scene!
If you’ve still got gas left in the tank after the show, let’s party! Brooklyn Bowl has late nights for every night of the Phish run:
- April 16-17: Eggy
- April 18: Grahame Lesh & Friends
- April 23: Pink Talking Fish
- April 24-25: The Disco Biscuits
- April 30: Jerry’s Middle Finger
- May 1-2: Taper’s Choice
It’s not a bad walk from Sphere to Brooklyn Bowl, and there are plenty of spots to grab a drink and a snack on the way. There’s also a high chance of wookery around random corners. Our kinda vibe!
For you weekend two peeps, you can catch a 14-piece Zappa tribute band with the Stinkfoot Orchestra. These shows are going to be unreal and the perfect soundtrack for the witching hour in Vegas.
Also just announced is a 2-night DJ Logic & Friends run at the Sand Dollar Lounge from April 17-18. It’s probably our favorite bar in the United States, and we will be there on Saturday!
If you’re more into the EDM/club vibe, there are plenty of options there. While we love a good rave and will get down to some untz with the best of them, there’s no way we’re going to some place with a dress code and super loud music after a two-set Phish show.
But we do have some solid-choice recommendations for those who are interested:
- XS Nightclub
- Zouk
- LIV
- Encore
Other Things to Do in Las Vegas
Turns out there’s more to Vegas than hookers and blow these days. Here are some of our top recommendations for things to do in Las Vegas during the Phish Sphere run:
Area 15 and Meow Wolf Omaga Mart
Go to AREA 15 and the Meow Wolf Omega Mart (affiliate link). It’s unreal and well worth spending a couple of hours there. When we visited, we booked a later time when it’s 21+ and got there an hour early to wander around, grab some beers, and play some arcade games.
If you’re trying to hit Meow Wolf before the show, you’ll want to book a much earlier time to take it all in and have some time to grab dinner and get ready for the show. Yes, there will be kids there. It’s weird. I don’t get why you would take small children to a psychedelic wonderland, but hey, what do I know?
Take a Spin on the High Roller
A very easy, low-effort thing to do before the show is taking a spin on the High Roller (affiliate link).
This huge Ferris wheel at the Linq offers an open bar for the 30-minute ride. We haven’t done it yet, but we might jump on this time.
Day Trip to Red Rock Canyon
If you’re a real go-getter, you can take a day trip to Red Rock Canyon (affiliate link) for a scenic drive and some hiking.
There are some tours if you’re not planning on renting a car. We did it one time when we were in Vegas in the summer, and it was hot AF. April should be quite nice!
Visit the Neon Boneyard
One of the coolest things to do in Las Vegas is check out the Neon Boneyard (affiliate link).
It’s an open-air museum full of neon signs from relics of Sin City’s past. Admittedly, it’s cooler if you can go at night to see some of them lit up, but that’s not an option on show nights.
Fremont Street
It’s still worth a visit during the day, and you can combine it with a trip down to Fremont Street – a must-see at least once if you’ve never been. It’s “Old Vegas,” and plenty is going on here to keep you occupied for a few hours before the show.
If you have an extra night before or after the run, we highly recommend doing the Neon Boneyard at night and catching the Canopy light show on Fremont. Check the schedule here.
Themed Mini Golf
Fans of mini-golf should definitely play a round at the KISS-themed course at the Rio or the Twilight Zone one at the Horseshoe.
We have played both, and it’s a great way to have some fun without gambling.
Pinball Hall of Fame
Something we’ve been meaning to check out is the Pinball Hall of Fame.
They have a ton of old machines, and I think it’s donation-based. Maybe we’ll finally make it there this time, but probably not, given how stacked our weekend is.
Wizard of Oz at Sphere
For those who want to spend most of their time at Sphere, you can also catch a showing of The Wizard of Oz before the Phish from Vermont.
I’ve heard it’s awesome, but I’m probably good on spending $115 each to see a movie before spending $250 each to see a concert. If you make it, let us know how it is.
Wook-a-Mania
I can’t believe I made it this far in the article without mentioning that WrestleMania is also going on in Las Vegas weekend one. It’s my literal dream come true, folks!
The Show of Shows takes place April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium, so you can expect to see a ton of wrestling fans out and about on the Strip the first weekend. I will be in the crowd on Sunday, so let me know if you’re going, and let’s link up!
It being WrestleMania weekend, there are tons of other wrestling events going on around town. There’s Wrestle Con and indie shows Thursday to Sunday at the Horseshoe, including Insane Clown Posse’s Juggalo Championship Wrestling on Friday at midnight. Woop woop!
There’s also the big WWE World at the Vegas Convention Center. We may have to check that out on Saturday morning, but we’ll see how we’re feeling after a few nights of Vegas revelry!
For those who love wook shit and wrestling, check out this awesome new Instagram account called Wook-a-Mania, brother!
Where to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
You can find just about everything in Vegas, sometimes all under the same roof. We hate the big casino resorts, so we don’t have much for you there, but they all have tons of options from fast food to fine dining.
Honestly, when we go to Vegas, our main goal is to pig out on Asian food and hit up dive bars. Here are some of our favorites from our various Vegas trips over the years:
- Lotus of Siam: Amazing, authentic Thai food
- Mas Por Favor: An unassuming taco joint with a speakeasy hidden in the back
- Yunnan Tasty Garden: Made us feel like we were back in China
- Xiao Long Dumpings: Who doesn’t love soup dumplings?
- Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s: Worth hitting up once!
- Herbs & Rye: Fancy steakhouse. Bar is first-come, first-served. Reservations necessary.
- Tacos El Gordo: We live in Mexico, and even we would wait in line here
- Sand Dollar Lounge: Quite possibly our favorite dive bar ever
- Golden Tiki: Hidden gem in a random strip mall
- Easy’s Cocktail Lounge: Speakeasy in Aria
Final Thoughts
I don’t know about you, but I sure am ready to taste the Sphere again. If it’s your first time at Sphere, buckle up! Be sure to hydrate and pace yourself. It’s sensory overload in there, and that desert heat is no joke.
Whatever you do, take care of your shoes. Seriously, people. There is a lot of walking and dancing in your future. We can’t wait to feel the feeling we forgot.
If you see us out there next weekend, come say hi and let’s boogie!
