U2 will give their first concerts at the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas – Billboard

U2 will be the first band to perform at the MSG Sphere at The Venetian in Las Vegas when the $1.8 billion arena opens next year, multiple sources say Billboard.

The performances will be the first dates of a multi-show residency for the group in the high-tech arena, which is being built by the president of Madison Square Garden Entertainment. James Dolan near the Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip.

MSGE officials describe the MSG Sphere at The Venetian as the next generation in live entertainment, providing fans with a multi-sensory experience of sound and light inside the largest spherical structure ever created. For concerts, the Venetian’s MSG Sphere can accommodate 20,000 standing or 17,500 seated guests, with 23 VIP suites.

The Sphere will include 160,000 square feet of video viewing space (Sphere officials describe the technology as an “indoor immersive display”), state-of-the-art spatial sound, and an outdoor exosphere that changes the appearance of the building through a fully programmable LED technology. It will connect to the Venetian Resort via a pedestrian bridge approximately 1,000 feet long.

The U2 concerts on site will be part of a residency that will span several months and take place on non-consecutive days. U2 are the second highest-grossing touring band of all time behind the Rolling Stones, according to Billboard Boxscore, with $2.22 billion earned and 28.3 million tickets sold.

MSG Entertainment officials declined to comment for this story. U2 management did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

In December, Madison Square Garden Entertainment announced it was resuming construction of the state-of-the-art venue, which was first announced in February 2018. The news meant that general contractor AECOM would transition to a supporting role as part of a new service agreement. .

The announcement included news that “significant progress” had been made in the construction of the site, noting that the structure had reached its widest point with the completion of its sixth-level concrete ring beam, which measures 490 feet wide and sits 113 feet above the ground.

MSG Entertainment previously revealed in its August 2021 earnings report that the opening of MSG Sphere at The Venetian has been pushed back from 2021 to 2023 – a cost-saving measure necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. MSG plans to open the MSG Sphere at The Venetian in time to compete in the FIA ​​Formula 1 World Championship in Nevada in November 2023.

A second MSG Sphere is planned for London and received the green light from local authorities to begin construction in March.