The Sphere

255 Sands Avenue

Las Vegas, Nevada

The Sphere cost a galactic $2.3 billion making it the most expensive entertainment venue built in the Las Vegas Valley from 2019-2023.  The Sphere is an entertainment venue near the Las Vegas Strip known for its immersive audio-visual technology including a huge wrap-around LED screen and an advanced sound system.  The architect was Populous Holdings, Inc. It is a global firm specializing in the design of sports stadiums and entertainment arenas. 

 It has over 167,000 speaker drivers and beamforming technology which directs sound to specific seats.  The system is so precise it can deliver different audio to different sections such as different languages to specific seats simultaneously. 

The Sphere opened September 29, 2023 hosting concerts, films and special events featuring 4D effect like wind and scent.  Its exterior features a 580,000-square-foot LED display, while the interior features a 160,000-square-foot 16K resolution wrap-around screen making it a major architectural landmark. 

The Sphere stands 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide making it the world's largest spherical structure.  

The Sphere Experience is a two-part show that includes a pre-show with five AI-powered robots named "Aura" who interact with guests designed to represent creativity, innovation, connection, longevity and productivity.  The Sphere features a screening of the 4D film directed by Darren Aronofsky, Postcard from Earth  and a immersive 4D, 1939 film experience of The Wizard of Oz.

The Sphere's unique structural design required 3,000 tons of steel and 32 trusses to build the massive dome.  The seating capacity ranges from 17,600 to 20,000 standing with most seats having high-speed internet. The Sphere has 23 executive suites.

Despite its massive power usage, the venue has a 25-year solar energy deal aiming to offset up to 70% of its energy consumption. 

 And due to incredible fan demand, Backstreet Boys has announced their final summer 2026 dates as part of their highly successful Into the Millennium residency at the Sphere in 2025.  The group was the first pop act to hold a residency at the venue.  U2 opened the venue in 2023-2024 and was in residency from September 29, 2023 to March 2, 2024.  The shows featured a setlist centered on their 1991 album, Achtung Baby. The 40 concerts, which lasted over two hours each, featured notable visual technology. The overall attendance was 663,000 with the box office totaling $244.5 million.  The Sphere paid U2 $10 million to produce their show, on top of their guaranteed earnings of $4 million per show from Live Nation.

What was U2 biggest concert ever recorded?  It was recorded on October 25, 2009 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California during the band's U2360 tour.  The Rose Bowl concert featured a sold-out crowd of 97,014 breaing the US record for single concert attendance for one headline act. 

SPHERE .. now open.

Circa September 29, 2023