After U2, here's what else is coming to the mind-bending Las Vegas Sphere
- The Sphere in Las Vegas is a new performance venue with a giant wraparound LED screen.
- Irish rockers U2 were the first band to play at the new venue.
The Sphere, a new performance venue in Las Vegas, opened this past weekend with Irish rockers U2 launching their "U2:UV: Achtung Baby Live" residency.
During the opening show on Friday, the band was surrounded by the venue's giant wraparound LED screen, which added unique visuals to the show.
The world actually got its first look at what the Sphere is capable of back in July when its screens were turned on for the first time, making it appear like a giant eyeball had landed in the middle of the city.
The globe-shaped building, which reportedly cost $2.3 billion to build, also transformed into a basketball, a pumpkin, and even the Earth itself.
U2's residency at the Sphere is scheduled to span 25 shows over the next few months, with their final performance on December 16. But the Sphere has already lined up another immersive performance to draw crowds in.
'The Sphere Experience'
"The Sphere Experience" is the other attraction taking place at the venue from October 6, and it's apparently hosted by a robot.
The official description reads: "'The Sphere Experience' begins the moment you walk through the doors where you'll be greeted by Aura, our real-life humanoid robot: one of five identical robots you can interact with."
Attendees are expected to get hands-on with some of the groundbreaking visual technology inside the venue.
"Aura will show you how culture and technology and science and art have always been intertwined throughout human history," the description for the experience reads.
"And some of the latest technology you get to experience personally - including a 360-degree avatar capture, a beam-forming sound display, and a 50-foot-high holographic image."
'Postcard from Earth'
"The Sphere Experience" then culminates with a screening of a new film from "Black Swan" and "Mother!" director, Darren Aronofsky, called "Postcard from Earth."
The project has been specifically made for the spherical venue using a 316-megapixel camera to capture footage for its 336-foot tall and 516-foot-wide screen.
"'Postcard From Earth' will take you on a journey to all seven continents: deep into the ocean, high into the mountains, into the eye of a storm, and out into space. And everywhere you go, you'll feel like you're really there," the description for the 50-minute film reads.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the project in June, Aronofsky said: "At its best, cinema is an immersive medium that transports the audience out of their regular life, whether that's into fantasy and escapism, another place and time, or another person's subjective experience. The Sphere is an attempt to dial up that immersion."
Beyond U2 and "The Sphere Experience," the people behind the massive venue are staying tight-lipped about the next performances coming to the Sphere.
In a lengthy interview with Variety, the team behind the Sphere said that there will be three or four artist residencies per year. In September, rumors suggested that Harry Styles might take up residency next year, but nothing is confirmed.