Las Vegas, Nevada: Friday 29 September was the long-awaited opening night of Sphere. This was also U2’s first live concert since 2019.
The enormous LED sphere is the biggest new attraction in Las Vegas in years, and has cost a whopping $2 billion to build.
The show titled U2: UV / Achtung Baby featured many classic U2 songs and the brand new single Atomic City. Bono and The Edge took to the stage in front of just over 18,000 spectators, with Bram Van Den Berg filling in on drums for Larry Mullen Jr.
The concert reviews are consistently positive, and the opening show is described as a success. U2’s live set is already well known, but the enormous light and sound show in Sphere is also widely praised.
Rolling Stone Magazine describes the sound as very clean and clear, and miles away from the murky sound often experienced at stadium concerts.
The Sphere
The Sphere has a huge, continuous LED screen totalling just over 14,800 square metres inside, and behind the LEDs are 168,000 speakers, allowing for 360-degree surround sound, while sound effects can be directed with great precision.
The spherical LED building is also equipped with a whopping 164,000 surround speakers. Beat that!
The seat rows in Sphere also allow for 4D effects such as wind, vapour/fog and earthquake shaking, which will be used for other attractions.
U2 will play several concerts in Sphere during October, November and December 2023, with ticket prices ranging from USD 500 to just over USD 1,500.