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Las Vegas never disappoints when it comes to putting on a show, and at 111 metres tall and 158 metres wide, their latest attraction, the MSG Sphere, is being billed as the world’s largest spherical structure.

The bowl-shaped theatre reportedly contains the world’s highest-resolution wraparound LED screen, boasting 1,2 million hockey puck-sized LEDs that can be programmed to flash moving imagery on a massive scale.

The theatre has not yet been opened for the public, but word has it that none other than U2 will be doing a series of shows to christen the newest addition to the Las Vegas strip. It does make sense to get the world’s biggest act to pop the cherry on the world’s biggest sphere, and even U2’s The Edge couldn’t help gushing about the MSG Sphere.

“There’s nothing like it. It’s light years ahead of everything that’s out there.”

“It’s absolutely stunning to look up and see what’s in front of you,” says Rich Claffey, Sphere’s chief operations officer. “I’ve been in the entertainment business for almost 40 years. I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’m not exaggerating. It is off the charts.”

The Sphere’s exterior will be illuminated every day and night with animations and other imagery, sometimes tied to the season. For example, it could transform into a giant pumpkin at Halloween and a snow globe at Christmas.

 

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The MSG Sphere was designed by Populous, the global architecture firm behind many of the world’s top sports arenas. Construction costs, inflated by the pandemic, have climbed to $2,3 billion (R43 billion) – more than Sphere’s fanciest neighbours, including the Bellagio.

“This building was built for immersive experiences in cinema and performance … you can’t come here and see an ice hockey game.”

In November the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix’s street circuit will pass through the Sphere property, and the arena eventually hopes to host boxing, mixed martial arts, and other events as well.

The venue can easily seat 18 000 people at a time. It’s scheduled to open September 29, 2023, with U2’s UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, a series of 25 concerts built around the band’s 1991 album Achtung Baby. The rockers will conclude their residency at the world’s biggest ball in December 2023.

Live music will never be the same. Suddenly the Bellville Velodrome looks very dull.

[source:cnn]