Las Vegas' Enormous MSG Sphere Debuts With Stunning Independence Day Show
Paris may be known as the City of Light, but Las Vegas likely has the French capital beat when it comes to brightness after dark. That's especially true with the opening of the new MSG Sphere at The Venetian Resort, far outshining other Vegas landmarks including the iconic knock-off Eiffel Tower.
The Sphere made its grand debut on July 4 with a patriotic extravaganza celebrating Independence Day. At a whopping 580,000 square feet, the LED screen is the largest in the world. It's also advertised as the largest spherical structure on Earth at 366 feet tall and 516 feet across. The end product looks like a planet in the middle of Sin City around which everyone and everything revolves.
More video of MSG Sphere on 4th of July in Las Vegas #lasvegas #vegas #4thofJuly #4thJuly2023 pic.twitter.com/A96P30yUSf
— Michael Andrew (@mwarchala) July 5, 2023
Here’s a sampling of the MSG Sphere’s Exosphere—the arena’s 580,000 sq ft fully-programmable LED screen—from last night’s Independence Day show. ?? @SphereVegas #vegas #msgsphere #FourthofJuly pic.twitter.com/TsQbAQ5wzD
— Mick Akers (@mickakers) July 5, 2023
Some of the wild shots of the LED MSG Sphere in its debut! #msgsphere pic.twitter.com/MbjeZ2ve5p
— Joe Vigil (@JoeVigil) July 5, 2023
The exterior of the building, dubbed The Exosphere, will be used for jaw-dropping shows like the one seen on the Fourth while the inside will be a 17,000-seat entertainment venue expected to host four to six residencies each year. Its first occupants will be Irish band U2 as they launch their Achtung Baby Live At Sphere residency on Sept. 29.
"There’s nothing like it," U2 guitarist The Edge marveled while touring the venue. "It’s light years ahead of everything that’s out there."
Guy Barnett, senior vice president for brand strategy and creative development at Sphere Entertainment, expressed his satisfaction with the successful July 4 spectacular.
“The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard—it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,” Barnett said in a statement shared with Men's Journal. “[July 4's] 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."
It was a unique celebration of the Fourth as cities across the country forego fireworks for other ways to mark the occasion in the skies. If you can't afford a ticket to the high-end, surround-sound shows inside The Sphere, you can at least be entertained by the visuals projected outside.