The lights came on for Independence Day at Las Vegas’ MSG Sphere, the otherworldly entertainment venue that takes the form of a 516-ft.-wide, 366-ft.-tall orb covered by the world’s largest LED screen.
But while the “Hello World” video show that debuted on July 5 was a spectacle all on its own, the public will have to wait until fall 2023 to step inside the Sphere and take in a show.
The debut of the 580,000-sq.-ft. LED screen on the outside of the venue, dubbed the Exosphere, included patriotic images of flags and fireworks as well as a series of other scenes ranging from the undersea world to the lunar landscape.
Like many of the iconic sights on the Las Vegas Strip, the video presentation at the MSG Sphere can be viewed from multiple vantage points, from ground level to the tourist helicopters buzzing across town.
“The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard—it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,” said Guy Barnett, sr. v.p. of brand strategy and creative development for Sphere Entertainment Co. in a press statement. “[The July 4th] show provided a glimpse of the Exosphere’s captivating power, and the possibilities for artists, partners, and brands to create compelling and impactful stories to connect with audiences in new ways.”
The Exosphere consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart; each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colors.
U2 to Headline Concert at the Sphere Las Vegas
Inside the Sphere is a performance venue seating 17,600 people (or 20,000 standing). The first concert in the Sphere will take place Sept. 29, when rock band U2 debuts the first of a planned 25 U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere concerts. Hollywood director Darren Aronofsky (The Whale, Black Swan) also will debut a special multimedia show, Postcard from Earth, this fall, and the Exosphere is expected to be a prominent part of the experience of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, whose route will take drivers around the Sphere location on Sands Avenue, two blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip.
For more of this eye-catching orb, visit thespherevegas.com.
