What do in Las Vegas for BLACKHAT World & DEFCON: Ultimate Sidequests
Black Hat USA runs August 1 through 6, 2026 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. But if you ended up here, you probably already know that. Here's a link for any other information on that. They wouldn't give us a press pass, so we're not going to push anything else specific on their end. Suck it nerds.
Resource: https://blackhat.com/us-26/
Calendar
Trainings: August 1 to 4
Summit Day: August 4
Briefings: August 5 to 6
DEF CON 34: Starts August 6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and runs through August 9
Vendor parties are part of the week too. GuidePoint Security runs a party at Swingers - The Crazy Golf Club inside Mandalay Bay on Summit Day evening, plus there are CISO dinners and happy hours all week.
If you're looking at Network, that's probably cool. If you're actually into drinking and swinging golf clubs, we would recommend atomic golf.
They have good drink packages. Only problem is the way the sun hits you is you might be vaporized before you get through your bucket. So we recommend going after sundown.
Enough for that, if you're looking for something else to do in Vegas that’s cool as fuck and that you won’t regret.
Shoot Guns & Blow Shit Up
Machine Guns Vegas and Battlefield Vegas are two distinctly different things.
If you don't like the sun and you want a luxury shooting range experience, we recommend Machine Guns Vegas.
Think something between John Wick and James Bond. It is a nice high-end lounge minutes from the Strip with a VIP setup and a full indoor shooting range. No tanks or outdoor driving, but a sleek spot to fire handguns, rifles, and full-auto weapons.
If you don't give a fuck and have a shit ton of money to spend, you say go snipe some explosive shit at Battlefield Vegas.
Battlefield Vegas is more of a Mad Max approach where you can roar through the desert, blow shit up, and put bug holes through things. Located one block off the Strip on a five-acre lot with military vehicles and a full armory, you can shoot belt-fed machine guns or buy packages to drive and fire an M1A1 Abrams or M60A1 tank.
Yes, both cost money. Yes, both are fun.
Strip Nightlife & Adult Options
Wynn/Encore is undebatebly the best day club and nightclub in town. Only problem is, they've had a lot of management changes and they don't have their shit in order. So until they are done figuring things out, we've got some other options.
If you're looking for some conventional nightclubs, here's a link to that article. (just bear in mind the Wynn/Encore)
Now for some unconventional nightclubs. When in Vegas…
Visit Spearmint Rhino Las Vegas:
Spearmint Rhino is mandatory bucket list item to check out. Open 24 hours just off the Strip, it features multiple stages, VIP suites, and a full bar with plenty of baddies in high-end lingerie.
We are good friends with him so if you want to go,We are good friends with him so if you want to go, you get free entry and complementary drink just by clicking here. Natasha will follow up.
Omnia: Keep Omnia at Caesars Palace for high-energy Strip nightlife under its massive kinetic LED chandelier.
Tao: Keep Tao at The Venetian for a classic, massive Vegas club environment that always delivers.
Electric Mushroom
One thing we would certainly recommend if you're looking to have a fun unique time is check out the Electric Mushroom downtown. On Wednesday nights they have a Latin night with a great DJ, a really good venue, and it's cheap to go with reasonably priced drinks. It is a really cool fucking vibe.
That way you're getting the best of Fremont Street, but you actually have a chance to meet somebody who's not gonna try and show you on some seduction technique. You're just gonna chill, have a good time, have some drinks, and everyone's there to have fun.
Steakhouses, Chinatown & Esther's Kitchen
When you need actual food and want to skip basic convention hall garbage:
Classy Steakhouses: If you want top-tier steak on or near the Strip, hit Bazaar Meat by José Andrés (Sahara) for an insane, aggressive carnivore experience, SW Steakhouse (Wynn) for prime cuts right on the water, or Golden Steer for old-school Las Vegas mob history and table-side Caesar salads. If you want to go to Golden steer, we recommend you get into your Time Machine and go back to 2018 so that you can make a reservation. Though, you could probably just walk in and tip somebody, because this is Vegas.
Esther's Kitchen: Located in the Arts District, Esther's Kitchen serves incredible seasonal Italian food with legendary house-made sourdough, fresh pastas, and great cocktails. This is a local's favorite. This is where the local chefs go to eat. If you are a foodie, Esther's Kitchen or Herbs & Rye are the fucking spots.
Chinatown: Swing through Chinatown along Spring Mountain Road if you're looking for some random ass shit with amazing food. Also great prices, they're not going to get you like they will on the Strip, but it's only gonna be a quick Uber drive. Definitely worth it. Check out Raku for late-night izakaya or Chef Kenny’s for Asian cuisine.
Fremont Street (Downtown)
There are specific attractions like SlotZilla which is cool for some people, but it's like $80 bucks and at that price, you can get ice cream and pizza on Fremont Street and then actually gamble at the tables and enjoy the beautiful dealers and local atrocities for what they are.
The Mob Museum (Downtown)
Located downtown in an actual historic federal courthouse, this place is entirely indoors and lets you spend a few hours soaking in all that gangster shit. Real mob artifacts, wiretaps, Prohibition history, and a legit working speakeasy in the basement.
The Neon Museum (Near N Strip)
If you don't know the history of the city, check out the Neon Boneyard. Packed with great historical context, seeing these massive retired casino signs up close—especially at night—is practically a spiritual experience. Some historians debate this might be one of the modern wonders of the world outside the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
AREA15 (near N. Strip)
AREA15 is an entertainment complex about a mile off the Strip housing arcade bars, axe throwing, golf simulators, VR attractions, and its own nightlife events.
Inside sits Meow Wolf's Omega Mart, which looks like a supermarket, then opens into an interactive art installation with hidden rooms and portals. Most people spend 90 minutes or more inside without noticing the time pass. It's like an immersive alien nightmare fuel dream sequence art experience. If you haven't been, we highly recommend it.
Pinball Hall of Fame (Near S. Strip)
Located directly on the Strip, this place is cool as hell and legit feels like Mr. Robot. All you need is a pocket full of quarters (they have change machines everywhere inside). Pure unguided arcade chaos packed with hundreds of vintage and modern pinball machines.
Day Clubs
Tend to be a sausage fest but if you like expensive drinks, warm water in hotter weather and loud DJ sounds, this will be right up your alley.
That said, get a Cabana, and you’ll be a boss.
Here’s a full guide:
Skip the Desert Hiking (Hit Emerald Cove Instead)
If you're more of the holistic nature typing, you just need to get the fuck out of Dodge, the surrounding areas are as lovely as they are deadly. Literally, people die.
Vegas sits in the Mojave Desert, and August is brutal. Average highs run around 104 degrees, and stretches above 110 degrees are common. The National Park Service closes several strenuous trails at Lake Mead National Recreation Area through late September because of the extreme heat risk.
So we recommend that you skip the canyon trailheads this trip - and come back in a few months.
If you’re still drawn to the unforgiving beauty of our desert surroundings, take a 50-minute drive and kayak the Emerald Cove on the Colorado River in Black Canyon.
Water stays around 55 degrees Fahrenheit year-round because it comes from deep intakes at the Hoover Dam. But it feels a lot cooler than that when you're getting blasted by the angry son from Mario Brothers.
Canyon walls tower overhead while you paddle, offering a cold-water contrast when the air above is sitting in the triple digits.
