Join us at VMware Explore

Las Vegas, Nevada | The Venetian
Aug. 31 – Sep. 3, 2026

The countdown is officially on for the Explore flagship event of the year in Las Vegas, from Aug. 31 – Sep. 3, bringing together IT practitioners at the Venetian Convention and Expo Center for four intense days of technical learning.

Maximizing your time at Explore 2026 also means knowing how to recharge once the breakout sessions wrap up for the day. Below, we have mapped out three distinct paths for your offsite itinerary. Whether you like to discover local culture, dive into iconic entertainment, or escape into nature, you can choose the adventure pathway that best fits your style.

Path 1: The Local Discoveries Enthusiast

If your idea of unwinding involves stepping away from the casino floor to uncover unique cultural pockets, this path is for you. Las Vegas holds a vibrant, community-driven scene just beyond the traditional tourist areas, perfect for clearing your head in a relaxed setting.

• Art and Architecture: Take a short ride north of the Strip to the Downtown Arts District, locally known as 18b. This neighborhood is the creative heart of the city, filled with indie coffee shops, local art galleries, and striking street murals. It is an ideal backdrop for a quiet walk to process the technical insights gathered from a long day at Explore.

• Culinary Gems: Skip the mainstream restaurant lines and explore the burgeoning food scene in downtown Las Vegas. From open-air night markets to independent, award-winning eateries highlighted on Eater Las Vegas, the local culinary landscape offers fantastic spaces to gather a group of fellow practitioners. It is the perfect environment to share private cloud deployment strategies over a world-class meal.

Path 2: The High-Energy Entertainment Seeker

For those who want to experience the peak excitement, grand spectacles, and legendary energy that make the city famous worldwide, look no further. This path places you right in the center of the action, utilizing the world’s entertainment capital to its full potential.

• World-Class Spectacles: Las Vegas is globally renowned for its mind-bending production shows, jaw-dropping acrobatics, and residency performances by iconic musical acts. Many of these legendary theater venues are located just steps from the Venetian, making it incredibly easy to transition from a technical deep dive to a high-octane performance. If you want to stay close to Explore, you can view current schedules and secure tickets directly through the Venetian Resort Entertainment Guide. For a comprehensive breakdown of major resident acts, concerts, and theatrical productions taking place across the entire city during the first week of September, check out these other shows, concerts, and events.

• Skyline Views: If you want to celebrate your new technical achievements or toast to a successful day of networking with VMware software experts, head to an open-air rooftop lounge like the Voodoo Lounge, or book a spot with your whole team on a massive observation wheel such as the High Roller. Watching the desert sky change colors over the neon skyline provides an unforgettable, high-energy backdrop to connect with peers from around the globe.

Path 3: The Outdoor Adventure Practitioner

If you prefer to balance intensive technical training with quiet recreation and natural landscapes, the surrounding desert offers a complete escape from the flashing city lights. This path is tailored for attendees who want to clear their minds in the fresh air and return to the venue completely recharged the next day.

• Scenic Exploration: Just a short drive from the venue lies Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Featuring towering crimson peaks, miles of scenic hiking trails, and quiet desert overlooks, it feels worlds away from the convention floor. Spending an early morning watching the sunrise over the canyon is an incredible way to ground yourself before dive-bombing into your next full day of technical tracks.

• Onsite Wellness: If you prefer to stay closer to home base, you can take advantage of the serene pool decks and top-tier wellness spa located directly in the Venetian. Taking a few hours to unplug by the water helps you process complex strategies for accelerating application delivery, keeping your energy levels high for the duration of the event.

Secure Your Pass

No matter how you choose to spend your downtime, the true value of the flagship event lies in the focused learning and immediate impact you will bring back to your organization. Engage directly with the Broadcom engineers and architects behind the technology, explore the latest capabilities of VMware Cloud Foundation, and build your professional toolkit.

Register Now to Lock in Your Early-Bird Savings

Registration is officially live. Secure your spot early and save $200 on the Full Event Pass by June 16. Secure your travel, and start planning how you will modernize your cloud this fall.