Irish rock band U2 played the first-ever show at the Las Vegas Sphere, a massive, dome-shaped venue covered in over a million LEDs. Videos of the concert have gone viral, revealing exactly what the arena is capable of.
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Inside U2’s concert at Sphere
U2’s performance centered on the band’s Achtung, Baby album,. It was the first in a series of concerts that the band will hold and put on at the venue through the end of December, as part of their residency.Â
The venue itself, the ‘Sphere’, which is located on the Strip near the Venetian resort in Las Vegas, has been under construction for the past five years, with building costs reportedly topping $2 billion. The venue is the world’s largest spherical structure at 516 feet wide, 366 feet tall, and has a capacity of 17,600 people.
The crowd included several entertainers, entrepreneurs, and athletes, including Paul McCartney, Oprah, LeBron James, Matt Damon, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Orlando Bloom, and many many more.
U2 opened the show with their song ‘Zoo Station’, and while the beginning of the show seemed more like the standard concert screen fare of band close-ups all around the dome, things quickly accelerated, as wild animations spanned the entirety of the screen.
The Experience
The visuals that follow are not done justice with words. According to CNN Editor Brandon Griggs, “Describing the Sphere concert experience is a challenge because there’s nothing quite like it.”
During a performance of their song ‘The Fly’, text all over the arena’s screens transforms into a tunnel extending up into the sky:
@tristan_the_genie @U2 went crazy tonight at the opening of @Sphere in Vegas! Jeff Bezos was sitting 10 feet behind me lmao #u2 #sphere #spherelasvegas #3d ♬ original sound – genie
@lynchmd Never seen anything like this. #sphere ♬ original sound – Paul Lynch
Some fans in attendance believed the visuals to be too much for them, admitting feelings of wanting to throw up. Others who had to sit and watch the performance from reels and TikToks at home took to X to say they couldn’t wait to attend, and considered the experience to be a “must-have”.
A must have experience 😮 pic.twitter.com/rJtq7tMFbG
— Content King (@Xcontentking) September 30, 2023
The arena allows for truly immersive shows and events that transport audiences to other worlds. In addition to its stunning visuals, the Sphere is also equipped with state-of-the-art sound and effects systems, including haptic technology, wind, scent, and temperature fluctuations. This creates a truly multisensory experience that engages all of the senses, making it an insane experience.
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