Sphere Las Vegas: “The Wizard of Oz” – what the ticket from €106.79 gets you and who it isn’t for

Among the Las Vegas offers we source from GetYourGuide, the ticket for “The Wizard of Oz” at the Sphere has the third-most reviews: 2,608, averaging 4.5 stars. Only the High Roller and the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam bus tour rank higher. Of the three, it’s the most expensive: from €106.79 per person, and that price applies to every guest, children included.

The booking page promises the yellow brick road all around you. It says little about where you actually end up sitting, what happens to your rucksack, and why a five-year-old is better off not coming along. That’s what this article is about.

What you’re actually buying

The Sphere is the huge globe at 255 Sands Avenue, behind the Venetian and so east of the Strip. Inside, the 1939 film classic plays, reworked for a screen that wraps around the audience. The operator states its area as 160,000 square feet, just under 15,000 m². The sound, according to the operator, comes from 167,000 speakers.

Then there’s what happens in the auditorium. The seats vibrate, and there’s wind, fog, scent and flashes of light. The Sphere also lists soap bubbles, water mist, falling and flying objects, and pyrotechnics. If you only know the film from television, you’ll experience it here more like a ride than a cinema evening. In the review summary, the tornado scene is often named as the highlight.

According to the booking page, a pre-show is also included: an interactive encounter with humanoid robots, a large Hypervsn display, artworks generated by machine learning, and a demonstration of the Sphere’s sound system. Food, drinks and transport are not included.

Important for setting expectations: this is a film with in-auditorium effects, not a stage show. If you want to see performers, “O” at the Bellagio is the right choice (more on that below).

How long it actually takes

The film runs about 75 minutes. The two sources give different times for the doors: according to the booking page they open 30 minutes before the time on your ticket, according to the Sphere 45 minutes before. Both agree that there’s no late admission. If you’re late, you don’t get in.

With admission, pre-show and exit, allow a good two hours. The time before the film isn’t a buffer – it’s part of the programme: if you arrive at the last minute, you’ll have no time left for the robots or the sound demonstration.

The ticket is non-refundable and can’t be rebooked. A show on the same evening as a ten-hour Grand Canyon excursion is therefore a bet on getting back on time. Better to schedule the Sphere for a day when you’re staying in the city.

You don’t choose where you sit

According to the booking page, your group gets “the best available placement at the time of booking”. You can’t choose a seat there. The Sphere itself sells through Ticketmaster. If you want a particular tier or block, you have to buy there. If you just want to get in, book through GetYourGuide, and book early so that “best available” actually means something.

The vibrating seats are, according to the Sphere, part of the show. If you need to do without them, you can ask the Sphere’s accessibility department for alternative or accessible seating. Whether this is also possible with a GetYourGuide ticket is something to clarify with the operator before booking.

According to reviews, the ticket runs through a Ticketmaster account. One buyer called registering there the only tedious step. Get that done at the hotel, not while queuing at the door.

The bag question

According to its FAQ, the Sphere doesn’t allow large bags or rucksacks inside. Small clutches, handbags and bum bags up to about 15 × 15 × 5 cm are permitted, along with changing bags and bags containing medical supplies. There’s no cloakroom: the Sphere doesn’t take bags or jackets for safekeeping. In the review summary, travellers wish for clearer information right here, including on locker fees.

Outside food and drink aren’t allowed, nor are sealed cans or bottles. Empty, clear soft-plastic bottles are permitted. Cameras aren’t allowed, according to the booking page, and photos and videos are prohibited during the film.

In practice, that means: if you’re spending the day on the Strip and heading straight to the Sphere in the evening, leave the rucksack at the hotel in the morning.

Who it isn’t for

The booking page excludes pregnant women, as well as people with back or heart problems, dizziness, respiratory problems or epilepsy. The Sphere additionally warns that vibrations, sensations of movement, flashes of light, bright light and loud noises can worsen certain conditions. If you’re unsure about any of these points, talk to a doctor before booking. After booking is too late, because the ticket is non-refundable.

Price plays a role too. In the review summary, “value for money” scores 4.0 out of 5, noticeably lower than the overall average of 4.5. Visuals and effects are praised; on price, approval noticeably drops off.

With children

The Sphere states that “The Wizard of Oz” is intended for guests aged six and up. Every guest also needs a ticket, whatever their age. So for a toddler, you pay the full price for a show that isn’t intended for them.

A family with two children pays at least €427.16 (4 × €106.79). That’s more than a whole day on the Grand Canyon bus tour, which costs from €341.04 for four people. How a family day in Las Vegas adds up overall is covered in the family budget.

The tornado scene that adults praise is, for some six-year-olds, exactly the moment when it gets too loud, too dark and too shaky. The Sphere has two quiet rooms (“Sensory Rooms”) on level 2 and level 6. They’re open during public events, subject to availability. Family toilets, according to the Sphere, are available throughout the building.

The show is a better fit for school-age children who like loud films, and for teenagers (more on that in Las Vegas with kids aged 6 to 12 and Las Vegas with teenagers). If you’re travelling with a baby or toddler, the article Las Vegas with a baby or toddler lists activities where the child doesn’t cost the full show price.

The alternatives nearby

Flyover: €24.98, 30 minutes. A flying theatre on the Strip with a dome-shaped screen 52 feet across, just under 16 metres, and seats that move. The minimum height is 102 cm. According to the booking page, it’s not for people with motion sickness or a fear of heights. It’s a short film, not an evening’s programme, and at a quarter of the price, a good test of whether this sort of thing is for you at all. More offers of this kind are on things to do in Las Vegas.

“O” at the Bellagio: from €98.57, about 1.5 hours. Cirque du Soleil, so performers on stage rather than film on a screen, and children under five aren’t admitted. If you have to choose between the two big evenings: “O” is live, the Sphere is technology. Compare both tickets and more shows at Las Vegas shows and tickets.

Just seeing the globe: The Sphere’s outer shell lights up over the city in the evening, and that costs nothing. According to reviews of the High Roller, the view of the Sphere looks strongest at night. A Death Valley stargazing tour for €136.94 has “Sphere” in its title, but according to the description only makes a photo stop there. The show itself isn’t included.

Is it worth it?

Yes, if you like the film, want effects, and €106.79 a head is worth an evening you don’t have to reschedule anything around. No, if you want to choose your seat, arrive with a rucksack from a day trip, fall under one of the exclusions, or are travelling with a child under six. To see how the Sphere compares with the city’s other sights, check the overview Las Vegas: what to see.