Not long after the Madison Square Garden Sphere in Las Vegas opened its enormous eyeball last month, memes began flooding social media: They included photos of the 580,000 square-foot domed LED screen, digitally edited with random images from the blue screen of death to the Death Star.
The $2.3 billion concert venue, just east of the Venetian, unveiled its exterior capabilities of unparalleled size on the Fourth of July, starting with a greeting of, “Hello World,” and a fireworks show.
Several visuals are now on rotation on the outside, including dribbling basketballs, a shaking snow globe, and a blinking eyeball. Sphere Entertainment promises more artistic and branded content to come, such as sunrise and sunset rituals, holiday scenes, and storytelling experiences.
While images of the MSG Sphere may be new to people around the world, locals and tourists have watched the evolution of the dome’s exterior up close and from across the valley since 2019. It’s already an inextricable part of the skyline, even though it doesn’t open until September.
The venue officially kicks into gear with a 25-performance residency by U2, “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere,” on Sept. 29. U2’s The Edge describes the residency as “a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” in a press release, adding, “We all thought about it and decided we’d be mad not to accept the invitation.”
In addition to being the world’s largest spherical structure at 366 feet high and 516 feet wide, the MSG Sphere houses the world’s largest concert-grade audio system. It’s hidden behind a 160,000-square-foot LED Screen, and delivers sounds through the floorboards. The 18,600-seat venue will also have 4D features, including scent and wind.
Future entertainment includes Sphere Experiences by leading Hollywood directors, such as the Darren Aronofsky-directed Postcard from Earth, debuting on Oct. 6, as well as concerts, residencies, award shows and events.
Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix viewers can expect to see the Sphere showcased again on a global scale in November, due to its prime position along the race circuit.
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