48-hour side quest to Vegas. Absolutely insane.
When one of your favorite EDM artists announces a show at the Sphere, you grab a bestie and go.
No overthinking.
Just “f*ck it, book it.”
Give the girls a glass of wine and two hours of planning and suddenly you have flights, a hotel, and a weekend in Vegas.
Viva Las Vegas.
I’m in a phase of life where I’m all about experiences, and seeing Illenium at the Sphere might honestly be a top five lifetime experience for me. It was INSANE (literally the only word we used all weekend).
This was a quick 48-hour trip. No PTO needed.
Barely any sleep.
Voices gone.
New friends made.
A million steps walked.
Overstimulated by casino machines.
Vegas honestly feels like an alternate universe.
Night One:
We flew into Las Vegas and checked into our hotel, The Luxor.
After a quick dinner at a Mexican spot inside the hotel, we got dressed and headed down to the hotel bar and bellied up at one of the hotel bars.
We befriended the bartender and the people sitting nearby and ended up meeting Adam and his friend, one of whom would later become our Sphere show buddy for the next night.
From there we headed to LIV Nightclub to see John Summit.
When we arrived, the floor was suddenly VIP-only (classic Vegas), so we squeezed into a decent rail spot and made a few random friends along the way.
Next thing we know?
Security escorts us into bottle service… and of course we weren’t going to say no.
We ended up staying out until around 4 AM dancing and singing the night away.
Day Two:
Four hours of sleep later… we were back out.
Vegas is the type of place where you just wander and see what happens, so we spent the day walking the Strip, exploring shops, grabbing food, and trying not to melt in sensory overload.
Eventually we reunited with our new friends Adam and Katelyn at the Venetian for drinks.
And not just any drinks.
Custom Illenium espresso martinis.
The perfect pregame before the main event.
The Sphere: Illenium & Wooli
Nothing could have prepared me for this show.
The Sphere itself is insane, but seeing Illenium (and Wooli) there was on another level entirely.
We originally had tickets in Section 110, Row 30, which honestly weren’t great seats for the visuals (definitely look up seat reviews before buying).
But we noticed two better seats in Section 100, Row 20 that hadn’t sold… and somehow managed to relocate ourselves.
(Do not recommend risking it like that. Definitely research seats beforehand.)
But wow.
Absolutely worth it.
Wooli opened (so amazing even he got emotional), and then Illenium came on and the entire place exploded.
The visuals.
The lasers.
The sound.
Fire.
Smoke.
Confetti.
Live instrumentals and singers (insane for an EDM show).
Graphics wrapping around the entire Sphere, literally taking us through stories and to other dimensions.
It honestly felt like being inside the show.
Our jaws were basically wide open the entire time, except when we were singing along (half my videos are ruined due to my singing).
Even if you’re not into EDM, the Sphere experience alone is something I think anyone would find incredible.
It completely changed how I’ll view shows going forward. No rave will ever top this.
Day Three:
After the pure amazement of the night before, it was time to pack up and check out.
Morning workout and a walk for me.
Starbucks.
Packing up and checking out.
We grabbed breakfast at a random little hole-in-the-wall place before heading to the pool for the afternoon.
Since our flight wasn’t until later, we booked a ResortPass day pass at the Fontainebleau pool for around $30.
Honestly one of the best travel hacks.
You can store your bags there and relax by a nice pool instead of killing time at the airport.
Highly recommend if you have a late flight.
Vegas Notes & Travel Tips:
A few things we learned along the way:
- Taxis are often cheaper and faster than Uber or Lyft.
- Vegas resorts are confusing. You will get lost. Multiple times. Plan extra time.
- Escalators everywhere (even outdoor sidewalks), long hallways, and ride shares take forever to arrive — add extra time to everything.
- LIV tip: If you’re planning to go, consider using a promoter instead of buying tickets directly. The floor can quickly become VIP-only.
- Sphere seating matters a lot. Our original seats (Section 110 Row 32) were not great for viewing the full visuals. If you go, spend the extra money for a better section in the 100s or 200s with clear views.
- The Luxor review: Pretty run down and the elevators take forever. Also everything is slanted because it’s a pyramid, including the elevators and walls. If you’re prone to motion sickness… maybe skip it. The pool was also closed while we were there.
- ResortPass: Perfect for killing time before flights and checking out other hotels.
- Illenium designed his 2026 album Odyssey around his Las Vegas Sphere residency and it’s absolutely amazing. The album is 10x better after the show, I’m not sure how I’ll ever recover to be honest.
Final Thoughts:
Outside of the Sphere (or maybe John Summit)… I honestly never need to go to Vegas again.
But for the Sphere? I would absolutely come back.
Seeing Wooli and Illenium there was the most insane show I’ve ever experienced. I still barely even have any words.
And yes, “insane” was definitely the most used word of the trip.
But more than anything, this weekend reminded me how lucky I am.
To be a single girl in her mid-twenties able to do things like this.
To have friends to say “yes” with.
To meet strangers who become part of the story.
To laugh until your voice is gone.
The inside jokes.
The random adventures.
The memories.
This life I get to live still blows my mind sometimes.
I’ll never get over this quick little 48-hour side quest to Vegas.
And honestly?
I’m probably not going to stop talking about it anytime soon.
Gifted with Grace 