Mirage volcano, done. TI pirate show, long gone. “Show in the Sky” at Rio, distant memory. On the bright side, Las Vegas has a new free attraction: A resident drone show at Atomic Golf at Strat. The show is intended for guests inside Atomic Golf, but we’ve got a hack to make the most of this new offering whether you’re a customer or not.
The drone show happens every Thursday at 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. It not only changes week-to-week, but also show-to-show in the same evening.
Here’s the drone show hack they don’t want you to know!
The new drone show is enthralling to watch from inside the venue, where guests can eat, drink and smack golf balls to their heart’s content.
Here’s video of the very first show.
The problem with watching the show from inside Atomic Golf is it happens behind poles supporting the venue’s netting, netting that prevents golf balls from flying into the surrounding neighborhood. Despite the fact the impact of projectiles would probably improve the appearance of the surrounding neighborhood, but that’s for another time.
It’s enjoyable to watch through the poles, but there’s a much better spot.
Between The Strat and Atomic Golf, there’s a small street, W. Philadelphia Ave. You can’t access it from Las Vegas Boulevard, but if you drive around to the back of Strat (on Fairfield Ave.), you can drive onto Philadelphia. It dead ends near some smelly garbage dumpsters. That distinctive fragrance is the key to finding the best spot to watch the show!
Atomic Golf would probably like people to enter their venue, as that pays for the drone show and to keep the lights on, but we don’t play by society’s rules.
Here’s the view of the drone show from the street, no obstructions.
On this street, drone nerds can also get a peek at the landing and take-off area for the show.
You can’t get access to where we were for the video below, unfortunately. But we are very important. It’s also known as “walking around as if you’re supposed to be there.” We also know Atomic Golf’s social marketing person.
You can legally park along one side of W. Philadelphia Ave. There is part of the street where pedestrians aren’t allowed during the show, directly under the drones (safety team members will shoo you away), but that’s not the best spot, anyway.
The drone show at Strat comes from a company called Skyworx Drone Shows, and is expected to run at least through the summer.
The number of drones varies. The first week, there were 400 drones. The second week, there were 285. Some shows will have 1,000 drones.
If you’re inside Atomic Golf when the drone show happens, cruise to the first floor, head toward Strat but turn right just before the entrance. It’s a 30-second walk to the prime viewing area.
Atomic Golf is in full promotion mode after struggling when the venue opened. A lot of employees were let go, and buzz was mostly about how hot the venue gets. It’s an indoor-outdoor venue, for the most part, and it’s been ungodly hot in Vegas over the last few weeks, so we can confirm the buzz is accurate.
Which presents some interesting business challenges for Atomic Golf, beyond it’s rough location at The Strat.
Is Atomic Golf a seasonal venue? That probably isn’t economically sustainable. Atomic Golf cost about $75 million to build.
Parking is another challenge. There are about 50 free spots on the north side of Atomic Golf, but the place has a capacity of 3,000 people. The plan was to have customers park in The Strat’s parking garage (no longer free), but that is a really long haul through the casino.
All that said, Atomic Golf is quite enjoyable, whether one has any interest in golf or not. We took time out of our drone show obsession to both golf and eat and lounge.
The lounge at Atomic Golf is awesome (and air conditioned), and management would do well to just promote the lounge on its own during the summer heat.
They are smartly offering a “Ladies Night” deal on Thursdays. Ladies can order one small bite dish (for as little as $11) and drink for an hour free. That’s a solid deal.
As we Tweeted, the Ladies Night deal was originally three hours of open bar, but there were some unintended consequences, presumably like awkward texts to exes and unplanned pregnancies. Unconfirmed.
The lounge @AtomicGolfVegas could be a stand-alone venue. For ladies night (Thursdays), women who order an appetizer get an open bar for an hour. Reminder: Tip on the value of the drinks served, not the $11 food tab. @stratvegas pic.twitter.com/Ub0UVO0nVP
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) July 26, 2024
Yes, we ordered a Woo Woo. Don’t judge. The open bar doesn’t apply to shots or specialty drinks, by the way.
Atomic Golf just sent out a news release with “weekly programming.”
Industry Night is every Monday, 7 p.m. to midnight. Industry pros get “two drink tickets and complimentary cocktails from Good Boy Vodka.” Industry nights are a smart way to get locals to visit a venue and to help spread the word.
Tequila Tuesdays happen every Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. to midnight. “Tequila Tuesday brings excitement with Latin music, food and beverage specials and a DJ. Enjoy specially made $5 carnitas tacos along with $5 tequila shots.”
We told you about “Ladies Night” in the Cosmic Lounge (Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.). This place should be packed, but with ladies and guys who like ladies who have been participating in an open bar for an hour.
There are live DJs every Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Hey, nowhere is perfect. It’s quite loud.
New is a “Boozy Brunch,” each Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. “Enjoy the weekend with Boozy Brunch, featuring a special menu and $25 bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys.”
The food at Atomic Golf is better than one might expect at a sports-themed venue. The “Boozy Brunch” features the Brunch Burger, Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast and Summer Melon and Prosciutto with sherry gastrique, which would make a decent stripper name, honestly.
Atomic Golf has a lot more to offer than meets the eye, and if it weren’t in that location, it could give Top Golf near MGM Grand a run for its money. Top Golf opened in 2016, so it had a head start.
We aren’t sure what Atomic Golf can do about the heat of summer, although the misters and giant fans help a little.
We aren’t a sports person, but we are a drone person and a lounge person and a food person. For people like us, it’s useful to think of Atomic Golf as a giant Las Vegas lounge with some golf. People who take rideshare don’t care about whether parking is free or where it’s located.
We’re putting the chances of success for Atomic Golf at 50/50. Vegas loves a good gamble.
