After an incredible summer tour, Phish is hitting the road again this fall. The legendary Vermont jamband will play 13 shows across four states, culminating with their 5th Halloween run in fabulous Las Vegas. In this Phish fall tour 2021 travel guide, we’ll give you a rundown of each venue along with some recommendations for accommodation as well as places to eat and drink. So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, let’s get this show on the road!
Gearing Up For Phish Fall Tour 2021
We managed to hit 13 out of 22 shows on the summer tour. This brought us down south (Alpharetta and Nashville), to the Midwest (Deer Creek), the Pac NW (the Gorge), and of course, to Denver for Dick’s.
It was so amazing getting to feel the feeling we forgot after going nearly two years without a show. There were too many highlights to name, but that “Simple” on my birthday (8/6) at Deer Creek stands out, as does the 2nd night at the Gorge.
Thanks to some clever travel hacking, we’re getting back on the road and hitting most of the fall tour. Long story short, I took advantage of sign-up bonuses with Southwest Airlines credit cards and scored the companion pass.
That means Rachel gets to fly for basically free on every flight I book this year. Since I racked up about 140,000 points, I’ve just been using those to cover my share.
Anyways, we’re flying out to San Francisco and staying on tour until the very end. We’re here to help you plan out your Phish fall tour as well, so here’s our rundown of the entire thing.
October 15 Golden 1 Center: Sacramento, CA
Phish fall tour 2012 kicks off in the capital of California. The band just played the Golden State when the Lake Tahoe shows got moved to Mountain View. Those are considered some of the best shows of the summer tour, so expectations are high.
The Golden 1 Center is located right downtown. It’s home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and has a capacity of 19,000 for concerts.
Since it’s the tour opener and a stand-alone show, tickets are basically on the ground already for this one. There are seriously tickets for $15 right now, even on the custy secondary market sites.
Like many, we’re planning on skipping this one. Because of flight options, we’d have to come out a night early and find a place to stay there for two nights. Instead, we’re flying into San Francisco that night and arriving late.
Where to Stay in Sacramento
- Hyatt Regency Downtown
- The Citizen Hotel
- Sheraton Grand
- Best Western Plus Sutter House
- In Off Capital Park Ascend Collection
Where to Eat in Sacramento
- The Firehouse (American)
- Chando’s Cantina (Mexican)
- The Boiling Crab (Seafood)
- Grange Restaurant & Bar (farm-to-fork)
- Rio City Cafe (New American)
Breweries in Sacramento
October 16-17 Chase Center: San Francisco, CA
Next up for the Phish from Vermont is a 2-night run in San Francisco. This time, the band heads to the shiny new Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.
The move to the arena marks a big change from the band’s previous SF runs in 3.0, all of which were held at the much smaller Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. All of those were 3-night runs as well.
While many fans are bemoaning the move, at least it won’t be such a freaking hard ticket this time around. Whereas Bill Graham only holds 8,500 the Chase Center can pack over 18,000 wooks in.
As is the case with many arena shows, floors and lower bowl seats might be a bit tough to snag. If you don’t mind partying in the uppers, this should be an easy ticket to acquire.
We haven’t been to Cali since we last saw Phish there back in 2013, so we’re long overdue for a visit!
Where to Stay in San Francisco
Where to Eat in San Francisco (near the venue)
- SF Kebab (Mediterranean)
- Casey’s Pizza
- Poke Life (Hawaiian bowls)
- Death by Taco
- Kabob Trolley (food truck with gyros, etc.)
- Torraku Ramen (Japanese food truck)
- Sunflower Vietnamese Restaurant
- Sheboygan Bratwurst Stands
Breweries in San Francisco
October 19-20 Matthew Knight Arena: Eugene, OR
Phish fall tour 2021 then heads up the coast to Eugene with a 2-night indoor run. The shows are at Matthew Knight Arena, which is home to the Oregon Ducks basketball team. Phish last played here back in 2014 on their fall tour.
The arena holds just over 12,000, which is pretty small for Phish these days. Since the shows are on Tuesday and Wednesday and are out of the way of the rest of the tour, this will be an easy ticket. We’ve been holding onto ours since February of 2020. Otherwise, we’d show up ticketless with zero concern.
We’re flying up to Eugene for our first time there. We got an Airbnb with some good friends we haven’t seen in 5 years, so we’re pretty excited about these shows. If you have any travel tips, please drop us a comment and let us know!
Where to stay in Eugene
Where to Eat in Eugene
- Jackalope Lounge (great drinks at great prices, bar food) Perfect for before or after the show
- Tradewinds at Jiffy (Mediterranean and Americana specials, dedicated to using local and organic ingredients)
- Party Downtown (creative yet comfortable dishes, ethically sourced ingredients)
- Bao Bao House (Chinese)
- Black Wolf Supper Club (Cajun)
- Rennie’s Landing (hangover breakfast or late night grub)
- The Wheel Pizza Pub (Phish-friendly pizza joint!)
Breweries in Eugene
October 22 Ak-Chin Pavilion: Phoenix, AZ
The routing of this Phish fall tour is a bit odd, due in large part to half of the shows being rescheduled from summer tour 2020. After going north for Eugene, the band makes a beeline to the desert for one single night in Arizona.
This Friday night show will take place at the Ak-Chin Pavilion, which is a few miles due west of downtown Phoenix. Once upon a time, it was called the Desert Sky Pavilion. That’s a way cooler name.
As far as capacity goes, this place has around 8,000 seats in the pav and room for 12,000 barefoot children to dance on the lawn. Even though it’s a weekend in a major city, it looks like a ticket tree may appear in the desert.
There’s a lot of chatter in Phish groups that this one is going to be a sleeper show, and I don’t doubt it. That’s why we’re not skipping this one and are making our first trip to Phoenix.
We actually get in the night before so we’ll have a full day to do something fun before the show. If you’ve got any suggestions, please let us know!
Where to Stay in Phoenix
- La Quinta by Wyndham
- Cambria Hotel Downtown
- Found Re Phoenix
- Holiday Inn Express Downtown
- Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown
Where to Eat in Phoenix
- Cocina Madrigal (tacos & tequila)
- Rusconi’s (American)
- Mancuso’s (Italian)
- Song Lynn (Vietnamese – near the venue)
- Golden Thai (also near venue)
- Grand Avenue Pizza
- Casey Moore’s Oyster House (Irish with pub and seafood)
Breweries in Phoenix
October 23 North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre: Chula Vista, CA
Fans have either a 6-hour drive or a quick 1-hour flight to get to the next show. The North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre is located in Chula Vista just outside of San Diego.
This place just can’t seem to settle on a name. Mattress Firm, Sleep Train, Coors, Cricket Wireless, and now a bank. Maybe this one will stick.
Whatever you call it, this venue seats just over 20,000 between its large pavilion and the lawn. Phish has played five one-night stands here over the years (’99, ’00, ’03, ’14, ’16), so they’re pretty familiar with the place.
We’ve never been to this venue and have actually never been to San Diego together. I have an uncle who used to live there and visited once way back in middle school.
Unfortunately, due to the hectic nature of this Phish fall tour, we won’t actually get to spend any time in San Diego. We’ll just have to come back another day.
Where to Stay in Chula Vista
Where to Eat in Chula Vista
- Family House of Pancakes (breakfast all day)
- El Patio (Mexican)
- Zorbas Greek Restaurant & Buffet
- Sea 180 (seafood on the coast)
- Tomodachi (sushi near the venue)
Breweries in Chula Vista
October 24 The Forum: Inglewood, CA
The traveling circus moves along up the California coast for a one-off show at the Forum in (sort of) Los Angeles. Phish is showing a lot of California Love on this tour. As 2 Pac told us about years ago – “Inglewood always up to no good!”
This is yet another summer 2020 date that got rescheduled. The Forum holds over 18,000 for concerts so it shouldn’t be a hard ticket. That being said, it’s still a weekend in the 2nd biggest city in the country, so the floor and lower bowl will be packed.
While the Forum got a 2-night run in summer 2018, it’s usually a one-night stand here. This one happens to fall on a Sunday (you know that they say about those), capping off a run of three shows in three cities in three nights. Fans and band may be tired at this point, but I’m sure this show will still be a rager.
We’ve never been to a show at the Forum and have only seen Phish in the area once, catching the Hollywood Bowl show back in 2013. We’re excited to hit the Shakedown there, which is supposedly a lot of fun. We just grabbed tickets in the lower level and will be Page side (rage side).
Where to Stay in Inglewood
- Parkview Motel
- Empire Inn
- Geneva Motel
- Los Angeles Adventurers All Suite Hotel (not the highest-reviewed but they have a pool!)
- Hollywood Inn Express LAX
Where to Eat in Inglewood
- Stuff I Eat (vegan)
- Bourbon Street Fish & Grill (Cajun)
- Sizzler (steak, seafood, salad bar)
- Rusty Pot Cafe (‘Merican food)
- Ms. B’s M & M Soul Food Restaurant (as the name says)
Breweries in Inglewood
October 26 Santa Barbara Bowl: Santa Barbara, CA
The penultimate stop on Phish fall tour 2021 is also one of the hottest tickets. The Santa Barbara Bowl holds just 4,500 and has been super sold out since it was announced.
Phish has only played the bowl four times before. They had a 2-night run there way back in 1992 and another in 2014. Apparently, tickets ended up being easy for that last run, but I wouldn’t count on it this time.
At least tickets have come down from the absurd prices (around $1,000 a few months ago) to be a bit more reasonable. I’m seeing some for $200 plus fees on secondary sites.
We just scored pit tickets (!!!) for this one by buying a guy’s Chula Vista and LA extras as well. We’re happy to pay face for all three, especially because this will be Rachel’s 100th show and first time in the pit!
Where to Stay in Santa Barbara
Where to Eat in Santa Barbara
- The Black Sheep (Asian-American fusion)
- Bouchon (California-French)
- Santo Mezcal (Mexican)
- Toma (Italian and seafood)
- Taqueria El Buen Gusto (Mexican near the venue)
Breweries in Santa Barbara
October 28-31 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
And now, for the main event! Phish makes their triumphant return to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for another 4-night Halloween run. They were on an every other year pattern until a lousy pandemic messed things up.
The arena holds about 17,000 people for concerts. It’s one of the very few places where fans get to walk through a bustling casino floor on their way to the show, which makes for all sorts of shenanigans.
As you might expect, Halloween is the hottest ticket of the tour. All four of these shows are sold out, but tickets for the first few nights are popping up regularly on Cash or Trade. It may be a bit of work to get in the last two nights, but where there’s a will there’s a way!
With the new MSG Sphere currently under construction, some feel like this may be the last Phish run at the MGM. Only time will tell. I for one am definitely ready for a Baker’s Dozen – Desert Edition.
We always love an excuse to go to Vegas, and there’s none better than a Phish Halloween run! It’s quite the marathon for us, as we also go to all three Disco Biscuits late nights. What can we say – we like to party, sorry if you don’t.
If you’re headed to Vegas this year, we highly recommend checking out Meow Wolf. We went there in June and absolutely loved it. This place is a psychedelic dream world and would make for an awesome pre-game for a Phish show. Just be aware that you need several hours there. Check out our short video about it to see a little sneak preview:
Where to Stay in Las Vegas
If you’re looking for something totally different this year, check out Helping Friendly Tour. You get to stay in a tiny home, teepee, or covered wagon and enjoy vegan food, yoga, qigong, and much more on a private ranch in the desert.
Where to Eat in Vegas
- Hash House a Go Go
- Block 16 Food Hall
- Morimoto (Japanese)
- Pieology Pizzeria
- The Crack Shack (Chicken)
- Esther’s Kitchen (Italian)
- Joel Robuchon (French)
- Tim Colicchio’s Craft Steak
- Lotus of Siam (Thai)
- Momofuku (Asian)
- The Modern Vegan
- VegeNation
- Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s (go at the end of lunch and stay for dinner)
- Taco Bell Cantina (it has booze!)
- In-N-Out (great for those doing Bisco late-night)
- Peppermill (late-night disco vibe spot)
- Lardo (sandwiches to go)
- Firefly (Spanish tapas)
- Shang Artisan Noodle (Chinese hand-pulled noodles)
- Eggslut (an “egg-centric” place)
- Border Grill (Mexican with an awesome Sunday buffet)
- Tamba (Indian)
- Soulbelly (BBQ)
- Mon Ami Gabi (French bistro with killer Bloodies)
- Din Tai Fung (Taiwanese)
- Monta Noodle House (ramen)
- Sparrow & Wolf (modern American)
- Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina (Mexican)
- Secret Pizza (if you can find it)
- Superfrico (“Italian psychedelic”)
Breweries/Bars in Las Vegas
- Trustworthy Brewing Co.
- Hop Nuts
- HUDL
- Beer District
- Double Down Saloon
- Hard Hat Lounge
- Dino’s Lounge
- Frankie’s Tiki Room
- Sand Dollar Lounge
See You on Phish Fall Tour 2021!
There you have it, folks. We hope you enjoyed this guide to Phish fall tour 2021. I know we just got off summer tour, but we’re super excited to get back on the train and head out west for a few weeks.
We’re jumping on tour in San Francisco and hitting everything from there. It would be awesome to do a whole tour, but we can’t swing paying for two nights in Sacramento just to add one more show.
Plus, that would make the Forum Rachel’s 100th, and while that would be cool, being in the pit in Santa Barbara is the perfect way to celebrate a momentous occasion!
As always, we love to bring a few companions on this ride. Let us know what shows you plan to hit and let’s get together! Safe travels everyone. Take care of each other (and your shoes), and we’ll see you on tour!
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