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Sphere is a music and entertainment arena in
Paradise, Nevada Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the 2020 census, making it the f ...
, United States, east of the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas cit ...
. Designed by Populous, the spherical project was announced by the
Madison Square Garden Company Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (also known as MSG Sports) is an American sports holding company based in New York City. MSG Sports manages professional sports teams. These include the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks and t ...
in 2018, known then as the MSG Sphere. The 18,600-seat auditorium is being marketed for its immersive video and audio capabilities, which include a
16K resolution 16K resolution is a display resolution with approximately 16,000 pixels horizontally. The most commonly discussed 16K resolution is , which doubles the pixel count of 8K UHD in each dimension, for a total of four times as many pixels. This resol ...
wraparound interior LED screen, speakers with
beamforming Beamforming or spatial filtering is a signal processing technique used in sensor arrays for directional signal transmission or reception. This is achieved by combining elements in an antenna array in such a way that signals at particular angles ...
and
wave field synthesis Wave field synthesis (WFS) is a spatial audio rendering technique, characterized by creation of virtual acoustic environments. It produces ''artificial'' wavefronts synthesized by a large number of individually driven loudspeakers. Such wavef ...
technologies, and 4D physical effects. The venue's exterior also features of LED displays. Sphere measures high and wide. The arena cost $2.3 billion, making it by far the most expensive entertainment venue built in Las Vegas. Sphere opened on September 29, 2023, with Irish rock band U2 beginning a 40-show residency called U2:UV ''Achtung Baby'' Live at Sphere. Director
Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Arono ...
's docu-film '' Postcard from Earth'' opened on October 6, 2023. Since opening, Sphere has operated on a loss.


History


Background

The project, known then as the MSG Sphere, was announced in February 2018. The project was initially a partnership between the
Madison Square Garden Company Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (also known as MSG Sports) is an American sports holding company based in New York City. MSG Sports manages professional sports teams. These include the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks and t ...
(MSG) and
Las Vegas Sands Corporation Las Vegas Sands Corporation is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Its corporate mission is to create "Integrated Resorts" which feature a combination of gambling, accommodation ...
. Sphere is just off the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas cit ...
and east of the Venetian resort, which was opened by Las Vegas Sands in 1999. Las Vegas Sands contributed the site for the project. Apollo Global Management purchased the Venetian in 2022 and became MSG's new partner on the Sphere project, replacing Las Vegas Sands. As part of the sale, the land beneath the Venetian Resort and Sphere was purchased by
Vici Properties Vici Properties Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in casino properties, based in New York City. It was formed in 2017 as a spin-off from Caesars Entertainment Corporation as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. It owns ...
. The sphere-shaped project was designed by Populous, with an interior that includes the world's largest
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (cor ...
screen. MSG initially estimated the project cost at $1.2 billion. In February 2020, the company said the cost had increased to $1.66 billion as a result of design changes consisting of guest enhancements. The cost continued to increase, eventually surpassing $2 billion due to the
2021–2023 global supply chain crisis In 2021, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, global supply chains and shipments slowed, causing worldwide shortages and affecting consumer patterns. Causes of the economic slowdown inc ...
and the
2021–2022 inflation surge The 2021–2022 inflation surge is the higher-than-average economic inflation throughout much of the world that began in early 2021. It has been attributed to the 2021 global supply chain crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and unexpected ...
. With a final expected cost of $2.3 billion, it is the most expensive entertainment venue in Las Vegas history, beating out the $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium.


Construction

A
groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are o ...
ceremony was held on September 27, 2018, and was attended by approximately 300 people, including Las Vegas Sands'
Sheldon Adelson Sheldon Gary Adelson (; August 4, 1933 – January 11, 2021) was an American businessman, investor, political donor and philanthropist. He was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which owns th ...
and Nevada governor
Brian Sandoval Brian Edward Sandoval (; born August 5, 1963) is an American politician, academic administrator, and former federal judge who served as the 29th Governor of Nevada from 2011 to 2019. A graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, Sandoval began ...
. In November 2018, it was reported that the MSG Sphere would be built along with new bars, private suites, a museum and retail space.
AECOM AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm. AECOM has approximately 51,000 employees, and is number 157 on the 2019 Fortune 500 list. The company's official name from 1990 ...
began working on the site in February 2019, through a preliminary agreement. AECOM had worked on several other stadiums, including the
T-Mobile Arena T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Paradise, Nevada. Opened on April 6, 2016, it is the home arena of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). A joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Anschutz En ...
in Las Vegas. Excavation was underway in March 2019. Approximately of dirt and
caliche Caliche () is a sedimentary rock, a hardened natural cement of calcium carbonate that binds other materials—such as gravel, sand, clay, and silt. It occurs worldwide, in aridisol and mollisol soil orders—generally in arid or semiarid regio ...
were excavated to prepare the site for construction. AECOM was named as the
general contractor A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of ...
in June 2019. The project had 400 construction workers. This number was expected to eventually reach a peak of 1,500. Construction of the basement was underway in July 2019. By October 2019, construction crews had completed the basement as well as the first ground level of the venue. The basement area will be used as public space for events. Excavation went as deep as for construction of the basement. In December 2019, the spherical structure reached in height with the completion of a fourth level, out of eight above-ground floors. In February 2020, the world's fourth-largest crane, a
Demag Demag Cranes AG is a German heavy equipment manufacturer now controlled by Japan-based Tadano via a $215 million deal. The roots of Demag date back prior to its formation, but became Märkische Maschinenbau-Anstalt, Ludwig A.-G in 1906 as the ...
CC-8800 crawler crane, was set up on the site's northeast side for the purpose of lifting heavy construction materials. The crane is capable of standing up to . In a disassembled state, the crane was transported across the Atlantic Ocean from
Zeebrugge Zeebrugge (, from: ''Brugge aan zee'' meaning "Bruges at Sea", french: Zeebruges) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zee ...
, Belgium to
Port Hueneme, California Port Hueneme ( ; Chumash: ''Wene Me'') is a small beach city in Ventura County, California, surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Santa Barbara Channel. Both the Port of Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura County lie within the city limits. ...
. The crane then required 120 tractor-trailers to transport it to Las Vegas. A separate crane was required to assemble the main crane, a process which took 18 days. In March 2020, construction reached the widest point of the spherical structure, the diameter, located at the sixth level and above ground. The project had been scheduled to open in 2021. However, MSG announced on March 31, 2020, that construction would be suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
. The project experienced a disruption in its supply chain, a result of the pandemic, and this hindered construction progress. All construction work on the project was expected to come to a stop over the next two weeks following the announcement. In August 2020,
MSG Entertainment Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (also known as MSG Entertainment) is an American entertainment holding company based in New York City. The company was established in 2020 when The Madison Square Garden Company (now MSG Sports) spun off ...
announced that construction had resumed on the project, with the opening rescheduled for 2023. Over the subsequent 15 months, construction would be focused on concrete, followed by steel erection and then the 13,000-ton steel-domed roof, the most complex part of the project. In October 2020, crews completed the heaviest lift up to that point, with the installation of two 240-ton steel girders. MSG took over as general contractor in December 2020, although AECOM continued to provide support. A 170-ton steel compression ring was added in February 2021, marking the heaviest lift of the entire project. Due to its size, the ring had to be assembled at the construction site. Work crews spent three weeks welding and bolting the prefabricated steel pieces together, and the crane was then used to lift the ring into place.


Roof, exosphere, and interior

The dome's roof required 3,000 tons of steel. The roof started to take shape in March 2021, as crews began the installation of 32
truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembla ...
es, each one weighing 100 tons. Truss installation reached the midway point in May 2021, and the crane had to be moved to the southern side of the property to install the remainder. Because of its size, the crane's relocation took two days. The dome was topped off on June 18, 2021, and work was already underway on an external exosphere which would be built around the dome. The exosphere is made of LED light panels which are visible from several miles away. It is 30 percent taller than the dome. Work on Sphere's interior began in August 2021. Upon completion of the roof's steel frame, of concrete were then pumped onto the roof. This formed a layer measuring in thickness, and weighing approximately 10,000 tons. The roof was finished in October 2021. Crews then turned their focus to the 730-ton steel interior frame which supports the LED screens and audio system. Work on the interior frame continued into 2022. A second topping out, for the exosphere, took place on May 24, 2022. This was followed by installation of the interior and exterior LED screens. The latter was illuminated for the first time on July 4, 2023, during
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
celebrations. Sphere soon
went viral Viral phenomena or viral sensation are objects or patterns that are able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them. Analogous to the way in which viruses propagate, the ter ...
for its display of images.


Opening

The venue's owner,
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (also known as MSG Entertainment) is an American entertainment holding company based in New York City. The company was established in 2020 when The Madison Square Garden Company (now MSG Sports) spun off ...
, split into two companies in April 2023, with Sphere Entertainment Company taking over ownership. The venue itself was renamed Sphere. It opened on September 29, 2023, with U2 as its first performer in a residency titled U2:UV ''Achtung Baby'' Live at Sphere. Visual content was made by Es Devlin Studios. It marked the group's first live show since 2019. MSG plans on hosting four to six residencies each year at Sphere. The company also debuted its first feature film, '' Postcard from Earth'' by director
Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Arono ...
, at Sphere on October 6, 2023. The venue will employ up to 3,000 people. Since opening, the Sphere has operated on a $98.4 million loss as of the end of the third fiscal quarter of 2023, prompting the resignation of MSG's CFO.


Features

Sphere is high and wide at its broadest point. It is the largest spherical building in the world at . It includes seating for 18,600 people, and all seats have high speed internet access.
Haptic technology Haptic technology (also kinaesthetic communication or 3D touch) is technology that can create an experience of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. These technologies can be used to create virtual objects in a computer ...
is incorporated into 10,000 of the venue's seats. Seating does not wrap around the entire sphere, instead covering approximately two-thirds of the interior while the stage takes up the remainder. The venue can accommodate 20,000 people in standing capacity. Sphere has nine levels, including the basement, where a VIP club is located. A total of 23 suites are included, across the third and fifth floors. Sphere's interior is equipped with a
16K resolution 16K resolution is a display resolution with approximately 16,000 pixels horizontally. The most commonly discussed 16K resolution is , which doubles the pixel count of 8K UHD in each dimension, for a total of four times as many pixels. This resol ...
wraparound LED screen, measuring . It is the largest and highest-resolution LED screen in the world. The exterior of the venue features of LED display space, which can feature holiday themes, with Sphere depicting a Halloween jack-o'-lantern or a Christmas snow globe, for instance. The exterior is also used for advertising. Both the interior and exterior screens were manufactured by SACO Technologies, a Canadian company specializing in LED video displays and lighting. Sphere features a
spatial audio Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener (surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to sur ...
system based on Holoplot's X1 speaker module, which uses
beamforming Beamforming or spatial filtering is a signal processing technique used in sensor arrays for directional signal transmission or reception. This is achieved by combining elements in an antenna array in such a way that signals at particular angles ...
and
wave field synthesis Wave field synthesis (WFS) is a spatial audio rendering technique, characterized by creation of virtual acoustic environments. It produces ''artificial'' wavefronts synthesized by a large number of individually driven loudspeakers. Such wavef ...
technologies and is equipped with 96 drivers each. The sound system comprises 1,600 X1 speakers that are installed behind the LED panels, along with 300 mobile modules, for a total of 167,000 speaker drivers. The sound system also can deliver sound through the floorboards. 4D features, including scent and wind, can be used. The arena will primarily host award shows and concerts, in addition to other entertainment events. Though not designed to fit a traditional arena layout for sports such as basketball and ice hockey, it can host ring sports events such as boxing and
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...
, as well as esports tournaments. The property includes 304 parking spaces, while additional spaces will be available at the parking garages for the nearby Venetian,
Palazzo A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
, and Venetian Expo. A pedestrian bridge will connect Sphere to the expo, and there are plans to build a new
Las Vegas Monorail The Las Vegas Monorail is a automated monorail mass transit system located adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip, in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It connects several large casinos in the unincorporated communities of Paradise, Nevada, Paradi ...
station to serve Sphere and the Venetian. However, these plans were put on hold in April 2020, due to the financial impact of the pandemic.


Events


Concerts


Other shows

'' Postcard from Earth'', directed by
Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Arono ...
, debuted on October 6, 2023. The show is preceded by the ''Sphere Experience'', a demonstration of the venue's capabilities that utilizes animatronic robots and holographs.


Formula 1

The Sphere is part of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit.


2024 events

* The
2024 NHL Entry Draft The 2024 NHL Entry Draft will be the 62nd NHL Entry Draft. The draft is expected to be held in June 2024 in Las Vegas. Eligibility Ice hockey players born between January 1, 2004, and September 15, 2006, are eligible for selection in the 2024 N ...
will take place from June 28-29, 2024 at the venue. *
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
will host an event on Mexican Independence day September 2024.


Other locations

MSG had stated that it intends to build other Sphere venues around the world. A similar MSG Sphere was planned to be built in Stratford, East
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. However, in November 2023, the sphere's planning permission was rejected by
Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...
Sadiq Khan Sadiq Aman Khan (; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting from 2005 until 2016. A member of the Labour Party, Khan is on the party's soft ...
, primarily over concerns about potential
light pollution Light pollution is the presence of unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive use of artificial lighting. In a descriptive sense, the term ''light pollution'' refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting, during the day or night. Light po ...
.
Tees Valley Mayor The Mayor of the Tees Valley, styled as the Tees Valley Mayor, is a combined authority metro mayor, first elected in May 2017. The mayor is leader of the Tees Valley Combined Authority. The office was created under the Cities and Local Gover ...
Ben Houchen Ben Houchen (born 9 December 1986) is an English politician serving as the Tees Valley Mayor since May 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, Houchen represents the five Tees Valley local authority areas of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tee ...
has suggested
Teesside Teesside () is a built-up area around the River Tees in the north of England, split between County Durham and North Yorkshire. The name was initially used as a county borough in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Historically a hub for heavy manu ...
in
North East England North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authori ...
as an alternative venue for the Sphere. In December 2023, MSG was discussing building of a new venue to be used for K-pop concerts in
Hanam Hanam () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Formerly a part of Gwangju County, it was designated a city in 1989. The ancient Baekje capital of Hanam Wiryeseong may have been located there. Lying immediately east of Seoul, Hanam is al ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. After discussions stalled for South Korea and also Saudi Arabia, MSG was in talks with developers in
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at ...
to build a second location in Abu Dhabi.


Sphere Studios

Sphere Studios, originally MSG Sphere Studios, opened in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, wh ...
, in May 2022. The facility handles production and post-production work for the Las Vegas sphere and future spheres. MSG Sphere Studios sought to collaborate with filmmakers and musicians to create some of the content for the Las Vegas sphere. Ted King, who previously worked on Star Trek: The Experience, is among those who will create visual content for Sphere in Las Vegas. The studio will also produce content in association with the 2023
Las Vegas Grand Prix The Las Vegas Grand Prix is a planned Formula One Grand Prix due to form part of the 2023 Formula One World Championship, with the event taking place in Paradise, Nevada, on a temporary street circuit including the Las Vegas Strip. History ...
, which will travel past Sphere. The spherical studio facility, nearly tall, is a miniature version of the Las Vegas sphere. The facility uses Big Sky, a specialized camera system created specifically to produce material for Sphere.


See also

*
All Net Resort & Arena All Net Resort & Arena is a planned entertainment complex in Las Vegas. A project of businessman and former basketball player Jackie Robinson, the complex will encompass a resort hotel, retail and restaurant space, and a multi-purpose arena with a ...
, a proposed Las Vegas arena *
Avicii Arena Avicii Arena, originally known as Stockholm Globe Arena and previously as Ericsson Globe, but commonly referred to in Swedish simply as Globen (; "the Globe"), is an indoor arena located in Stockholm Globe City, Johanneshov district of Stock ...
* Cinematic virtual reality *
Cinerama Dome Pacific Theatres' Cinerama Dome is a movie theater located at 6360 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Designed to exhibit widescreen Cinerama films, it opened November 7, 1963. The original developer was William R. Forman, founder of Pa ...
*
On-set virtual production On-set virtual production (OSVP) or also known as virtual production or virtual studio is a technology for television and film production in which LED panels are used as a backdrop for a set, on which video or computer generated imagery can be di ...
*
Spaceship Earth (Epcot) Spaceship Earth is a dark ride attraction at the Epcot theme park at the Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida. The geodesic sphere in which the attraction is housed has served as the symbolic structure of Epcot since the park opened in 1982. ...
*
T-Mobile Arena T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Paradise, Nevada. Opened on April 6, 2016, it is the home arena of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). A joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Anschutz En ...
, the home of the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
's
Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an exp ...


References


External links

*
Corporate website
{{Music venues of Nevada 2023 establishments in Nevada Boxing venues in Las Vegas Buildings and structures in Paradise, Nevada Event venues established in 2023 Indoor arenas in Las Vegas Internet memes introduced in 2023 Las Vegas Strip Music venues completed in 2023 Music venues in the Las Vegas Valley Venue Sports venues in Las Vegas