This was the inauguration of Sphere, the largest spherical stadium in the world, with a U2 concert

Irish rock band U2 this weekend just christened Sphere, a spherical music and entertainment stadium at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino complex in Las Vegas. The $2.2 billion, 20,000-seat Madison Square Garden Company facility officially opened its doors Friday evening in the famed “Sin City.”

Since the middle of the year, the structure has been attracting everyone’s attention because of its enormous exterior, built with panels that function as a video screen. Inside, however, the experience is immersive. Social media users agreed that watching their favorite band play, with visual effects, felt like being in a live music video.

“There is no way Elvis has left this building,” Bono told fans who filled the bulbous venue at the start of the performance, referencing the legend that the king of rock lives in Las Vegas. The singer then called James Dolan, the owner of Sphere and MSG, “a crazy son of a bitch” for coming up with the concept.

The group’s leader also paid tribute to the locals by playing the new song Atomic city, when a huge image of the Las Vegas skyline appeared across the entire Sphere screen. That’s why U2 launched its three-month residency U2:UV Live at Sphere Las Vegas, with tickets priced from just over $200 to nearly $8,000.

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Paul McCartney, the stars of Break bad Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre were just a few of the notables who attended the grand opening.

The Sphere structure is 112 m high and 157 m wide at its widest point. The project, designed by Populous, was announced in 2018 by the Madison Square Garden Company. The 18,600-seat auditorium is highlighted by its immersive audio and video capabilities, including an immersive indoor LED screen with 16K resolution. The exterior of the venue also features 54,000 square feet of LED screens.

The opening was initially scheduled for 2021. In 2020, construction was suspended for several months due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.