Fans Flock To Vegas Sphere And Share First Look Into U2's Opening Night!
By Melanie VanDerveer on September 30, 2023 at 7:35 PM EDT
Updated on September 30, 2023 at 7:41 PM EDT
The much-anticipated opening of the MSG Sphere happened last night, and it didn't disappoint!
Many social media users shared their photos and videos of U2's opening night of their Vegas residency, "U2:UV Achtung Baby Live" and offered their reviews of the unique venue and show.
People Flocked From Near And Far To See U2 On Opening Night At The Sphere
Opening night of the $2 billion investment went off without a hitch as U2 opened the Sphere and performed to a sold out crowd. The Sphere has been entertaining Vegas residents and guests for months with its outside digital show, so opening the doors to the public was a long-awaited event in itself. People traveled from near and far to get the first look at the futuristic Vegas venue located just off of the world-famous Strip.
Jessica Serna from Dallas, Texas runs My Curly Adventures travel blog attended opening night and shared her story of visiting the Sphere on TikTok. She also sat down with The Blast to give some details of the exciting evening.
"I was just so intrigued. I had tried to read what to expect, but there still wasn't much out there. I knew with such an expensive project it better be good. It wasn't until the show started until I really got a grasp and wa just blown away at everything from the artistic to the realistic," she told The Blast. "At one point, there's abstract art that's a work of its own and at another point, they've projected the Las Vegas skyline to where it truly looks like you're in an open-air stadium at the edge of Vegas with U2 performing in front of it."
Serna first got a glimpse of the Sphere a few days before stepping foot in it. This was her first visit to Vegas, and a memorable one, for sure. Before the show, she had dinner at a restaurant in the Wynn and followed people from the casino to the Sphere.
"We waited in line for a little bit and I thought we would wait a while, but it was so quick," she said. "Once inside, it was massive with a ceiling multiple stories high. Everything was futuristic and even the bars played into the futuristic space theme."
One thing many social media users pointed out in the comments of videos of the inside of the Sphere is the size of the stage. While it's a smaller than usual stage, the constantly changing screen of the walls and ceiling make the magic really happen.
"The stage is small, but you could see. I didn't find it any different than having high seats at a concert venue except now you have a huge high-quality screen that brings the performers to you," she continued. "I will also say I'm sure a lot of people, including myself, are filming in .5x because that's how you get the full perspective of a dome shape and that can make it seem further away."
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing seats at a show in the Sphere, there are no bad seats!
"Not when comparing other concert venues and especially considering how high-def the screens were, this was by far a whole different perspective," Serna said. "At one point, they blew up the stage on the dome screen and the way you could see all the details on their faces and the dimensions, it almost felt like this digital stage could've been the real stage. Sure, it would've been great to be close up, but it was still a phenomenal experience."
A New Stage Set For Each Song!
Vegas resident Michelle Smith also attended the Sphere's opening night and said it was the "most unique and incredible venue for a concert."
"It was an experience completely unlike the typical arena or stadium," she shared exclusively with The Blast. "It is an experience completely unlike the typical arena or stadium. The sound was much better and the feeling was of a much more intimate concert than a typical venue that seats 18k+."
Smith said that she didn't have firm expectations going into the new venue, and that the best part was that each song offered a completely new stage set.
"I expected more of a traditional stage set up with the inside of the Sphere used for some video content," she explained. "The minimal physical staging allowed the inside of the Sphere to create experiences that varied from a psychedelic zoo of images that changed and rotated so it felt like the room was spinning to a song that felt like a traditional concert stage setting where all the focus is on the band."
Smith plans to see the U2 residency again before it's over. As someone who works in the concert production industry in special effects, she's seen her share of high-profile productions but says this one was "so special."
"I kept thinking to myself during the show, 'I am seeing the future of the industry here,'" she said.