Vegas Sphere to screen immersive U2 concert film

Sphere Las Vegas is to debut an exclusive “cinematic experience” based around U2’s groundbreaking show at the venue.

Directed by Morleigh Steinberg and The Edge, V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas will open at Sphere on Thursday 5 September. Tickets are priced from $100, with U2.com subscribers receiving first access to presale tickets.

“V-U2 is a first-of-its-kind immersive film that will transport audiences back to U2’s groundbreaking live Sphere shows and make them feel like they are there,” says Josephine Vaccarello, EVP, live, MSG Entertainment, who oversees live bookings for Sphere. “This concert film was created specifically for Sphere, and will utilise the venue’s technologies to create an experience that is only possible at this next-generation entertainment medium.”

U2 sold more than 700,000 tickets across 40 sold-out dates at Sphere from September 2023 to March 2024. The residency saw the group reunite with creative collaborator and show director Willie Williams, as well as artists including Es Devlin, John Gerrard and Marco Brambilla.

According to Pollstar, the stint is Las Vegas’ highest-grossing residency of 2024 so far, grossing $84.7 million (€77.5m) from 249,122 ticket sales for 15 shows held between January and March.

The V-U2 show is a Sphere Experience, Sphere’s signature original content category, and is the first film to be shot entirely with Big Sky, the ultra-high-resolution camera system developed by Sphere Entertainment. The film was produced by band members The Edge, Bono and Adam Clayton, along with producer Alan Moloney, in collaboration with Sphere.

“The end result is a cinematic experience that transports viewers into the energy and beauty of the live show”

“We knew all the tremendous capabilities of the technology, but we didn’t know what to expect from the process of making this film,” adds Steinberg. “The work became a true collaboration between band, artists, producers, and technology teams. The end result is a cinematic experience that transports viewers into the energy and beauty of the live show.”

Sphere Entertainment executive chair and CEO Jim Dolan hinted at the expansion into immersive content as a means of extending the lifespan of the venue’s residencies during last week’s company earnings call.

“If you look at the concerts that we’ve had, and the events that we’ve had in the Sphere so far, and you think of them as an experience, then recording them actually in the Sphere itself is probably the most perfect place to make an experiential recording,” he says. “So that suggests that there’s a product there. I expect you’ll hear from us soon about that kind of content.”

In its fiscal 2024 financial results, the firm posted full-year revenues of $1.03 billion (+$453m on the prior year), with an operating loss of $341.2m (+$68.2m) and adjusted operating income of $80.7m (+$203.3m).

Sphere has also hosted residencies by Phish and Dead & Company, as well as the ongoing Darren Aronofsky-directed immersive production Postcard from Earth. The Eagles are due to kick off a 20-show run at the $2.3bn venue next month, while Anyma is set to become the first electronic act to perform with a six-night stint from 27 December to 1 January.

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