Is there shade at Henderson Pavilion?

Henderson Pavilion: one of the shadiest evenings in the desert

Few amphitheaters we have measured stay as shaded through a show as Henderson Pavilion. In Henderson, Nevada, where afternoon sun is nobody's friend, that matters, and the numbers below come from our mapped model of the venue.

Nearly the whole place is covered

Across a typical evening event, Henderson Pavilion averages about 92 percent shade overall, which is exceptional for an open-roof venue. The coverage is broad, not just concentrated up front:

• Pit 2 and Pit 3 both read a full 100 percent shaded.
• The lower and upper pavilion hold right there with them: sections 210, 109, 108 and 209 all sit near 99 percent.
• Even the sunniest seats stay well shaded by desert standards. Lawn 3 runs about 79 percent, section 202 near 76 percent, and Lawn 1 and Lawn 2 around 75 percent.

The upshot: there is no genuinely bad sun seat here. The lawn is still the most exposed choice, but it holds three-quarters of its shade over the event, which is unusual.

Timing and the desert heat

In high summer, Henderson's sun sets around 7:56 PM, earlier than at more northern venues. By a 7 PM start the sun is already very low, only about 10 degrees above the horizon and off to the west-northwest near a bearing of 289 degrees. From 6 PM the venue still averages roughly 75 percent shade, so even the early window is comfortable compared with most amphitheaters.

Desert evenings are hot, so a July show benefits from steady hydration and sunscreen even here, and the heat eases noticeably as the sun drops toward that earlier sunset. The high shade coverage means you are shielded from direct sun sooner than you would be almost anywhere else.

For the shade at your exact seat and date, the interactive shade map breaks Henderson Pavilion down section by section. Pick your seat, set your show time, and you will see just how covered you will be.