September 2022

This was our first time visiting an NFL stadium other than our home field, and we could not have been more excited! Las Vegas is already a frequent get a way destination of ours so when the Raiders officially moved to Vegas and opened Allegiant Stadium in 2020, we knew we had to plan a trip to see our Arizona Cardinals play there.

We decided to make a weekend out of it and stayed at the Tropicana on the Strip (which, sadly, is no longer there). Saturday night, we treated ourselves to dinner at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand, right across the street. The seafood was incredible, the perfect way to kick off the weekend. After dinner, we caught a Cirque du Soleil show, KÀ, at the MGM Grand Theater.

If you’ve never seen KÀ, it’s a must. The show features jaw dropping acrobatics, martial arts, puppetry, and pyrotechnics – all performed on one of the most technically advanced stages in the world. The stage itself moves, rotates, and elevates to tell a powerful coming of age story. It was an impressive production.

Game Day at Allegiant Stadium

Sunday morning came, and it was game day! Unlike most NFL stadiums, Allegiant doesn’t have much of a tailgating scene, so we created our own version, table gating at Fat Tuesday’s inside Mandalay Bay. With frozen drinks in hand, we joined the crowd of fans walking down Mandalay Bay Road, across the bridge, and straight into the gleaming silver and black beauty that is Allegiant Stadium.

Our seats were incredible, front row on the Club Level (200s) in the end zone. From there, we had a perfect view of the entire field. The stadium itself is sleek and high-tech, but it’s also a little tricky to explore.

Directly across from our seats was the eternal torch, lit in memory of Al Davis, the legendary former owner of the Raiders. It’s an impressive and emotional tribute that really sets the tone for Raider Nation pride.

If there was one downside, it was the placement of the performance stage. It’s located all the way across the field, above the opposite end zone under the torch, rather than on the field itself. It made it hard to see Carlos Santana perform the National Anthem and Nelly during halftime. The acoustics weren’t the best either, but hey we came for football, not a concert!

The Game

What a game it was! The Raiders jumped out to a 20–0 lead by halftime, and the stadium was rocking. But the Cardinals weren’t done, they stormed back in the second half to tie it up and then pulled off an overtime victory, winning 29–23! The comeback energy was electric, and we were on our feet the entire time.

The walk back across the bridge to the Strip was… let’s just say lively. Raiders fans weren’t exactly thrilled with the outcome, and we got heckled on our way back. Thankfully, as we made our way toward Mandalay Bay, we found more and more Cardinals fans, and before long we had a whole celebration crew of our own.

Final Thoughts

Overall, visiting Allegiant Stadium was an unforgettable experience. Between the world-class entertainment, incredible food, and the thrill of NFL football in the heart of Las Vegas, it’s a sports trip like no other.

We’re already looking forward to visiting more stadiums and cheering on our Cardinals. 2 stadiums down, 32 to go.

If you’re planning a trip to Las Vegas to catch a Raiders game, feel free to reach out,  I’d be happy to share more tips and recommendations to help you plan your own amazing football weekend in Vegas!