Las Vegas' Spectacular Sphere
In September 2023, a new major attraction opens in the centre of the glittering city of Las Vegas: An enormous arena - disguised as a sphere.
Standing on the famous Las Vegas Strip, you will see a giant sphere in the immediate vicinity. The Sphere is the largest and most spectacular concert dome in the world. Its walls are surrounded inside and out by high-resolution LED displays. Inside is the world's first 16K LED display!
The sphere reaches a height of 112 metres and a diameter of 157 metres. It replaces the Avicii Arena as the largest spherical building in the world. 57.6 million LEDs are mounted on the 54,000 square metre outer surface (also known as the Exosphere). This makes the Sphere the largest LED wall in the world. The surfaces are used for spectacular animations.
The building extends over nine levels and is divided into sections, similar to an opera house. It has 17,600 seats and standing room for a further 20,000 people. There is an exclusive VIP club in the basement. The Sphere cost the equivalent of 1.8 billion euros and took 5 years to build.
"Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard - it is living architecture that is unlike anything else in the world." - Guy Barnett, Brand Strategy & Creative Development, Sphere Entertainment
The hall will host concerts, award ceremonies and other events. The rock band U2 played the opening concert at the end of September. Ticket prices ranged from US$500 to US$1,500 per ticket. Audiences were captivated by the clear, pristine sound and breathtaking visuals, from vast deserts to twinkling starry skies.
The world's biggest cinema
The Sphere will also be the largest cinema in the world. Iconic director Darren Aronofsky is currently working on a film ("Postcard from Earth") that will be shot exclusively for the giant screen of the spherical structure using a special camera. Visitors will not only experience visual impressions. They will also be able to smell and feel the wind. In addition, the audio system can simultaneously play the sound in different languages for the respective audience.
Around 1,600 fixed and 300 mobile X1 Matrix Array loudspeaker modules were installed by Berlin-based technology company Holoplot. The start-up company developed a new D-Audio Beamforming and Wave Field Synthesis technology specifically for the project. It promises a headphone-quality sound experience, regardless of seating position. Sphere Entertainment created a dedicated content team for the animations. This team is also responsible for the 4D experience in the film.
The Sphere is an incredible billboard on the outside and a unique event venue with the latest technology on the inside. It joins the Bellagio Fountain and Caesars Palace as a must-see attraction in Las Vegas.
