Headed to Dead & Company’s 2025 Las Vegas Sphere Residency? Here are some things we learned last year to help you have the most fun trip possible. Most importantly, make sure you come visit us at Shakedown at the Tuscany! Hope to see you there!
Feel free to add your Sphere Vegas advice in the comments below.
Arrival at the show:
- This venue is good at getting people in quickly. Expect a bit of an entry line at peak times, but don’t worry about getting there extra early.
- The entrance is on the shady side of the building in the evening, but the area around the venue has a lot of sun exposure.
- Arrive through the Venetian Bridge for air-conditioned entry.
- If you’re walking from the Tuscany, enjoy the shade on Howard Hughes Drive and take a shortcut through the parking garage at Westchester Drive.
- Free parking is available at the Tuscany walking distance to the show. Visit Shakedown, and then take the free Shakedown Shuttle from there (tip your drivers well!).
Tickets
- If you don’t like your tickets, you can upgrade them by calling Ticketmaster. There’s also a concierge desk in the venue and some of the bars upstairs can help you too.
- Get high (seats) – The floor is great for dancing socializing, and seeing the band up close, but you have to go to the upper levels to get the full effect.
- If you’re going for the full weekend, get tickets in different sections for every night.
- Obstructed view tickets are cheaper for a reason. You’ll still have fun, but you will feel like you’re missing out on the full experience.
- Don’t dilly dally on buying tickets. Some shows sold out last year, and tickets this year are in high demand.
The show
- Good earplugs will drown out the chompers, so you can hear the music better. The sound is so clean in this venue that it’s not overwhelmingly loud like other venues.
- Drums & snuggle! Lie on the floor with your friends if you’re in GA or settle into your haptic seat upstairs.
- Pack extra layers. It’s cold inside the sphere, and it’s going to be cold outside after the show. Desert night temps are colder than you think they’re going to be
- Visit the Sensory Room if you get overwhelmed. It’s a small quiet space with relaxing art located next to guest services at the Venetian end of the main concourse.
- Let go of traditional show expectations. This is its own experience. Give yourself (and your neighbors) grace to enjoy it in new ways.
Pre & Post show
- Visit Little Hippie at Shakedown Vegas. We have gifts for the whole family and warm layers for the show.
- Shakedown is busiest on Saturdays. If you prefer to shop with less of a crowd, go on Thursdays. Late afternoon/early evening closer to show time is also quieter, but some vendors leave early.
- Shakedown After Dark keeps the party going with free after shows in the Copa Room at Tuscany Casino. There is live music in the lounge at the Tuscany pre show as well.
- Pack snacks in your suitcase. There’s food everywhere, but wait times can be long, especially late night. Las Vegas is an exhausting place, and you never know when you’re going to need a snack to come to the rescue.
- Don’t overlook the exosphere. A lot of effort has gone into creating art for the exosphere, and if we’re lucky, we’ll get treated to a drone show while we’re there too.
Water
- Don’t go anywhere without water.
- Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Even a minor dehydration headache is going to ruin your fun. Stay ahead of it so you can handle an onslaught of sensory input everywhere you go.
- You can bring an empty plastic water bottle into the show.
- You can also bring electrolyte packets into the show to mix into your water bottle which helps offset the icky taste of the water from the water fountains inside the venue.
- A lot of hotels provide chilled water refill stations. You can expect to find them at the Tuscany when visiting Shakedown.
