A woman’s viral TikTok post about her first trip to the Las Vegas Sphere became a public service announcement for all those who are afraid of heights.
On January 15, Samantha Rothe (@samanthaarothe) posted a TikTok that has over 470,000 views as of this writing, describing how the Las Vegas sphere triggered her fear of heights.
“When I tell you that it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life,” she said.
What made Lot’s Las Vegas ball trip so scary?
Lott explained that she voluntarily purchased tickets for the upper level area. She figured it “can’t be that bad,” especially since it was her first time in Vegas and her first time seeing the sphere in person.
However, as she walked towards her seat in Section 418, she developed a fear of heights. The entire journey requires taking four long escalators straight up. She explained that there was even a voice on the intercom explaining that there was an elevator for people who were afraid of the last escalator.
“So they know,” she said. “They know it’s bad.”
Rothe explained that as soon as she sat down in her seat, she began to panic. The upper rows were extremely steep, she described, forcing attendees to carefully descend narrow steps before sitting down and levitating at a shocking angle.
Lott said she couldn’t relax during the nearly 40-minute performance. She said she grabbed her friend’s seat so hard that she broke a Gel-X nail.
“I was afraid I was going to fall all these people,” she said.
Despite her experience, Lott said she would still go back if she could sit in a lower area.
“You’re not going to catch me up there,” she said. “I choose the land where we belong.”
Is this a common experience for Las Vegas arena visitors?
Many commenters agreed with Rotter’s point about their fear of heights on the sphere.
“On the spherical escalator leading to my seats, I had to look down at my feet because they were so high,” one reviewer wrote.
“Me and my boyfriend went to an NFL game and girl we couldn’t have gotten a seat closer to God and as soon as we sat down I threw up because you mean we were in the sky???” added another.
Many guests on online forums reported similar reactions, especially at the highest levels. One Reddit user described sitting in a 400-level seat and being so panicked that they left early.
Safety concerns regarding the sphere’s steep stairs and high seats have been discussed in legal and fan spaces. Personal injury attorneys point out that steep stairs and inadequate railings are common hazards at large venues like the Sphere. This can lead to slips and falls, which can lead to serious injuries such as broken bones, they added.
Additionally, Reddit posts detailed attendees who were escorted out after falling from multiple rows of seats or losing their footing on the stairs. These community reports do not establish formal safety investigations, but they do highlight that heights, narrow aisles and steep passages can pose real risks to some guests, especially in dim lighting or crowded conditions.
AllHipHop reached out to Samantha Rothe via TikTok private message for comment and Sphere via email for comment. We will update this story if either party responds.
@samanthaarothe I ❤️ Ground #sphere #spherelasvegas #acrophobia #fearofheights #fyp ♬ Original Sound – Samantha Rothe
