Last weekend, the Formula 1 (F1) Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025 was held at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Paradise, Nevada. Beyoncé and Jay Z, Mark Wahlberg and Cynthia Erivo were among celebrities in attendance. To avoid paying ticket prices starting at US$140 for a single-day pass, some F1 fans used a vertical-transportation (VT) loophole to catch a free view of the race.
A TikTok video shows locals and tourists riding a set of escalators overlooking a main section of the track. Although loitering laws were put in place to prevent pedestrians from stopping in walking zones or on overbridges with views of the event, people who kept moving while riding the escalator on a loop were left alone by security.
Another spot frequented by "professional escalator riders" in the past was obscured by view-blocking black fabric this year. A New York Times article from 2024 noted that some fans used a glass elevator near the Spring Mountain Road bridge as "somewhat of a temporary mobile suite" for viewing the race. F1 will return to Last Vegas on November 19-21, 2026. Whether fans will still be able to catch a glimpse via VT remains to be seen.
