Everything you need to know about Vegas’ most expensive venue to date

It’s big, it’s round, and it’s impossible to miss from just about any vantage point in Las Vegas. 

The Sphere blends seamlessly into Sin City’s skyline, yet still manages to stick out with the vibrant 360-degree visuals on its exosphere, from underwater scenes and blinking eyeballs to famous artwork and bouncing balls.

Since displaying its first words: “Hello World,” on July 4, 2023, this spherical entertainment venue has been ogled, photographed, and shared worldwide on social media — lauded by all as a site to behold (and a distraction to drivers).

Here’s everything you need to know about the Sphere, Vegas’ most expensive venue to date.

Its final cost was a billion dollars more than projected

Are you wondering how much it cost to build the Sphere? The final bill came to about $2.3 billion, making it the most expensive entertainment venue ever built in Las Vegas.

It was originally estimated to cost over $1 billion less than that, but design changes, the global supply chain crisis, and inflation caused the price to surge (and you thought eggs were expensive). It even surpassed the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, which cost $1.9 billion.

It’s the largest spherical building in the world

At 366 feet high and 516 feet wide, and with 875,00 square feet of space, the Sphere in Las Vegas has been called the largest spherical building in the world, surpassing the Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

It’s so big, it was built using the world’s fourth-largest crane, which stands at 580 feet. The crane itself was delivered disassembled on 120 tractor-trailers and took 18 days, plus a separate crane to put together.

The roof’s construction used 3,000 tons of steel and a 10-inch thick layer of concrete, weighing about 10,000 tons.

With the largest LED screen

The screen on the Sphere, known as the exosphere, has 580,000 square feet of fully-programmable LED lighting, making it the world’s largest LED screen. The screen has 1.2 million LED pucks, each comprised of 48 LEDs, and each diode is capable of displaying 256 million different colors.

The exosphere rotates between a wide range of content daily as well as exclusive content during concerts like U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere and events like the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix last year and the Superbowl LVII in February.

And the highest-resolution LED screen

The Sphere’s 18,600-seat auditorium is wrapped with a 160,000-square-foot (or four-acre) interior LED screen. At 16K, it’s the highest-resolution LED screen in the world.

The auditorium also has immersive video and audio capabilities, such as haptic technology, which creates tactile sound sensations for audience members. The use of multi-sensory 4D technology enables audience members to feel atmospheric and environmental effects like breezes or scents.

There are nine floors inside the Sphere with 23 suites across the third and fifth floors. If you’re headed to the VIP Club, you have to go to the basement.

UFC will celebrate Mexican Independence Day at the Sphere

With so many world-record size claims, you wouldn’t expect the Sphere to offer anything less than a world-class lineup of entertainment and events. And it does. The arena will primarily host award shows and concerts, in addition to other entertainment events, including boxing matches and mixed martial arts, as well as esports tournaments.

The Sphere opened with a 40-show residency from Irish rock band U2 on September 29, 2023. That residency is approaching its end, with only a few more shows until March 2, so get tickets now before it’s too late — if you’re willing to shell out between $300-$700 for a ticket.

Tickets are also available for a two-part Sphere Experience ($70-$200) for guests ages 6 and up. It starts with a 60-minute animatronic robot-led tour of the atrium’s interactivity, followed by a showing of the 50-minute docu-film, “Postcard From Earth,” from American filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. The film is part sci-fi, part nature documentary, and an opportunity for the whole family to experience the Sphere’s advanced technology.

Upcoming residencies and events include:

• Phish: April 18-21
• Dead & Company: Dead Forever – Live at the Sphere: May 16-July 13
• 2024 NHL Entry Draft: June 28–29
• UFC – Mexican Independence Day: Sept. 14.

The venue employs up to 3,000 people

Sphere Entertainment Company hired 3,000 positions when it opened the Spere last year. There are currently 22 positions listed on the company’s career site, which may include full-time, part-time, and event-driven jobs in Las Vegas, as well as Student Associate opportunities.

Do not attempt to climb the Sphere

A man who attempted to scale the Sphere as a publicity stunt before Super Bowl weekend was promptly arrested.

Maison Des Champs, 24, who calls himself “The Official Pro-Life Spider-Man” faces charges including destruction of property and conspiracy to destroy property, according to the police. They estimate that he caused about $100,000 in damages.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.