Is this the real life or is it just fantasy?
The Las Vegas Sphere is an 18,600 seat spherical auditorium located just East of the strip, by the Venetian Las Vegas. It is 366 feet high and 516 feet wide with 580,000 square feet of LED displays. On the inside of the sphere there are 160,000 square feet of 16k resolution wraparound LED screens. The screen is the largest and highest-resolution LED screen in the world and is equivalent to more than two and a half football fields.
How was the Sphere built?
Construction of the Sphere started in February of 2019 where 110,000 cubic yards of dirt were excavated to create the basement for the construction. By the end of the year the sphere reached 65 feet. In early 2020, the world’s fourth-largest crane, a Demag CC-8800 crawler crane was set up at the site in order to lift the heavy construction materials to the top of the 516-foot structure. It took 120 tractor trailers to transport it from a California port to Las Vegas. It took 18 days, and an additional separate crane was required to assemble the Demag crane.
Originally, the Sphere was supposed to open in 2021 but construction was suspended in March of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction started again in August when the workers started on the 13,000-ton-steel-domed roof. Midway through the roof’s construction, the Demmag crane had to be moved to the other side of the sphere, a process that took two days due to the size of the crane.
The roof was finished in May of 2022, which was then followed by the installation of LED screens on both the inside and the outside of the Sphere. Installing and setting up the screens took over a year. The exterior lights were illuminated for the first time on the Fourth of July in 2023 and displayed fireworks.
Is the Sphere now open?
Yes. The first event held within the Sphere was on September 29, 2023 and was a performance by the rock band U2. Currently the Sphere offers tickets for four different shows. The first show is called “The Sphere Experience” which is a film by director Darren Aronofsky about a humanoid robot that takes people on a tour into the future of technology. On the Sphere’s website it is described as part sci-fi and part nature documentary that takes advantage of all the Sphere’s experiential technologies. This show looks like it is here to stay at the Sphere.
The second show is the one that kicked it all off, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere. However, this is only running now through March 2nd. The third show is Phish who will be playing four shows in the Sphere in April. The last show is Dead & Company: Dead Forever, a spinoff band of the Grateful Dead, will be playing 24 shows from May through July of 2024.
While the arena is not designed to support sports like basketball and hockey, it will be able to host rings sports such as boxing and MMA. Recently Dana White from the UFC announced their next “Noche UFC” card will take place at the Sphere in September of 2024 in celebration of Mexican Independence Day. The Sphere is also able to host esports tournaments.
The Sphere’s Features
The Sphere can accommodate 20,000 people including standing capacity. All 18,600 seats have high speed internet access and 10,000 of those seats have Haptic technology such as vibrations to give a 4D experience. The venue has nine levels including the basement, where a VIP club is located. The Sphere has 23 suites across the third and fifth floors.
Both the interior and exterior screens were manufactured by SACO Technologies. The exterior can feature different holiday themes, including a Halloween jack-o-lantern or a Christmas snow globe. You can also advertise on the Sphere for the “low” price of $450,000 a day or $650,000 for a week.
The Sphere features a spatial audio system that uses beamforming and wave field synthesis technology, which is demonstrated inside the interactive lobby, and explained by one of the humanoid robots named Aura.
The sound system is made up of 1,600 Holoplot X1 speakers that are installed behind the LED panels, along with 300 mobile modules. The sound system is also able to deliver sound through the floorboards delivering a unique 4D experience. Other 4D features include scent and wind to deliver a complete experience.
Are there any other Sphere locations?
As of now there is only one Sphere. In November of 2023 there were talks to bring a similar sphere to London, but the planning permission was rejected due to potential light pollution issues. In December of 2023 there were discussions to bring a sphere to Hanam, South Korea, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Who do you want to see at the Sphere?
Casino.org recently held a poll to see who Americans want to see in the Sphere the most. Coming in first place was Lady Gaga who is well known for her theatrical stage shows. Beyonce came in second, coming off of her 2023 Renaissance World Tour that became the second highest grossing tour ever by a female artist. Coming in third is Coldplay, whose imagery and theatrics could create a complete immersive experience. The rest of the top 9 in order were Sir Paul McCartney, The Eagles, Bon Jovi, Harry Styles, Kiss and Dead & Company (who be performing from May through July). Who would you most want to see in the Las Vegas Sphere?
The Sphere’s big impact
The Sphere is an astonishing building and experience. It will change the way we see concerts, hear, and feel the music. The LED display on the outside of the Sphere is mesmerizing. I took a recent trip there and my favorite thing to do in Vegas was to watch what the Sphere would do next. This approach saved me a lot of money at the slot machines.
The outside of the Sphere is wrapped with 1.2 million hockey puck sized LED lights which transform into an enormous out of this world display. Across the way is also the new Resorts World, who has made its buildings giant LED video display screens. Just when I thought Las Vegas could not get any brighter, here we are, stepping into the future.
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