Rock legends U2 kicked off their Las Vegas residency on Friday evening, marking the official opening of the Sphere.
And fans loved the “absolutely crazy” and “mind-blowing” visual experience.
At 336 feet tall and 516 feet wide, the Sphere has been described as the world’s largest spherical structure, equipped with a 160,000 wraparound LED display, 164,000 speakers and 4D capabilities.
It’s currently home to legendary Irish rockers U2:UV Doch Baby Live at Sphere, who are playing their first of more than two dozen gigs until December 16th.
The legendary rock band, which has won 22 Grammys, performed for two hours in the massive, state-of-the-art spherical venue with crystal clear sound.
Wow: Rock legends U2 opened their Las Vegas residency on Friday evening, marking the official opening of the Sphere
Exciting! And fans loved the “absolutely crazy” and “mind-blowing” visual experience
There was an abundance of attractive imagery throughout the night – including kaleidoscope images, a burning flag and the Las Vegas skyline.
“What a fancy pad,” said Bono, who was joined on stage by guitarists The Edge and Adam Clayton and drummer Bram van den Berg.
Among the more than 20,000 viewers who got a first look at the highly anticipated show were numerous celebrities, including Jon Hamm, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre, Dakota Fanning, Connie Britton, Elizabeth Banks and Aaron Paul, Bryan Cranston, Josh Duhamel, Jane Seymour and Kate Hudson.
And when they took to X, formerly known as Twitter, fans could hardly contain their excitement for the incredible new show.
“U2 opened the $2.3 billion Las Vegas Sphere last night and the visuals are incredible,” one wrote.
A second said: “The sphere is absolutely crazy.”
A third joked: “The only concert where the nose bleed seats are the best.”
A fourth added: “Still can’t believe this thing is real.”
Incredible: At 336 feet tall and 516 feet wide, the Sphere has been described as the world’s largest spherical structure, equipped with a 160,000 wraparound LED display, 164,000 speakers and 4D capabilities
Stunning: It’s currently home to legendary Irish rockers U2:UV Doch Baby Live at Sphere, who are playing their first of more than two dozen gigs until December 16th
Performance: The legendary rock band, which has won 22 Grammys, performed for two hours in the massive, state-of-the-art spherical venue with crystal clear sound
Details: There was an abundance of attractive imagery throughout the night – including kaleidoscope images, a burning flag and the Las Vegas skyline
“Concerts will never be the same,” another added.
According to CBS 8 News Now in Las Vegas, the Sphere, costing about $2 billion, will be home to concerts and shows with a 160,000 surround LED display and 164,000 speakers, as well as 4D capabilities that keep the audience in their seats surround.
The outside of Sphere or Exosphere is the largest LED screen on Earth, made up of about 1.2 million LED pucks spaced 20cm apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes.
With around 25 more shows of the new immersive technology at the Sphere, U2 ticket prices range from $400 to $1,450.
The band is playing these shows for the first time without drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who is taking this year off to treat and recover from various injuries he has sustained over the years.
After Bono finished the Beatles’ “Love Me Do,” he recognized Paul McCartney, who was in attendance, and said, “Macca’s in the house tonight.”
He acknowledged Sphere owner James Dolan’s efforts in creating a venue that advances the live concert audio landscape with 160,000 high-quality speakers and 260 million video pixels.
The Sphere is the brainchild of Dolan, the chairman of Madison Square Garden and owner of the New York Knicks and Rangers.
He sketched the first drawing of the venue on notebook paper.
“I think the Sphere may have come about because Jim Dolan was trying to solve the problem that the Beatles started when they played at Shea Stadium,” Bono said.
“No one could hear you. You couldn’t hear yourself. Well, the sphere is here… Can you hear us?’
As U2 closed the show, a bright light shone from the ceiling and the huge screen began to fill with images of birds, insects and reptiles over a lake.
The band then concluded their first Sphere concert with Beautiful Day, which won three Grammys in 2001.
With up to 170 million records sold from 15 studio albums over the course of their career, U2 are considered one of the best-selling music artists in history.
Residency: The band is playing these shows for the first time without drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who is taking this year off to treat and recover from various injuries he has sustained over the years
Outstanding: The band concluded their first Sphere concert with Beautiful Day, which won three Grammys in 2001
Huge: The Sphere is the brainchild of Dolan, the CEO of Madison Square Garden and owner of the New York Knicks and Rangers