Here’s Why The Sphere in Las Vegas Has Everybody Talking (And Gawking)

It’s the biggest news in the city of Las Vegas and the most eye-popping addition to the skyline in ... well, maybe ever. The Sphere (once known the MSG Sphere) is a concert-venue-slash-video-screen-slash-multimedia- experience that is capturing imaginations and international headlines and once again solidifying Vegas’ reputation as the “Entertainment Capital of the World.”

Announced in 2018 and conceived over years, the Sphere is a roughly circular orb with video screens covering every available surface, from the entirety of the outside to much of the wall space inside, creating a kinetic, if not at times frantic, visual experience. Since its first lighting earlier this summer, it’s been a wild addition to the skyline and has captured the attention of both visitors, residents, and perhaps even the occasional passing plane.

But more than just a beacon, the Sphere is a true state-of-the-art multimedia experience, featuring proprietary video technology created at a one-quarter scale model of the venue in Burbank. The surface of the Sphere is easily the largest video screen in the world: 580,000 square feet of surface area comprise the skin - that can show just about anything (from the planet Earth to an outsize emoji) in 16k resolution.

Inside, the HD video continues, wrapping around the entirety of the venue to create visualizations for concerts and show the immersive Sphere Experience, which features content made by director Darren Aronofsky: Postcard from Earth. Behind the screens (and scenes) is a battery of next-generation speakers that generate spatial audio using beamforming and wave field synthesis to create fidelity like never before. All of this is perfect for the Sphere’s first resident: U2. The legendary rock band’s Achtung Baby: Live at the Sphere show opened to a rapt audience full of luminaries and celebrities on September 29. The residency continues with 25 shows through December.

And if this all doesn’t feel futuristic enough, you can chat with “Aura.” The robot, hailed as the most advanced humanoid robot in existence and the official “concierge” of the Sphere, greets visitors in the main atrium. An expert on Sphere and its inner workings, Aura can answer complex questions conversationally and even focus on one person at a time in a crowd. And, like many advanced AI models, Aura will become better at interacting with people over time as it “learns.”

So just in case Vegas didn’t have enough distracting delights, now there’s one more amazement to see, do and to stop you in your tracks. thespherevegas.com ♠

-Alan LaGuardia, Vegas Guide Writer