Sphere

Sphere is an immersive entertainment medium and live venue in Paradise, Nevada, near the Las Vegas Strip. Its programming combines concert residencies, cinematic attractions, spatial sound and physical effects with large-scale architectural displays. Originally developed as MSG Sphere, it adopted its current public name in 2023 and opened on September 29 that year with U2’s U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency.

The venue brings together two distinct visual environments. Inside, a 160,000-square-foot, 16K-by-16K wraparound LED media plane surrounds the audience. Outside, the Exosphere provides 580,000 square feet of programmable LED display space for artwork, advertising and event-related content. The auditorium accommodates 17,600 seated guests, with total standing capacity reaching 20,000.

An integrated entertainment format

Sphere’s productions are designed around the interaction of image, sound and environmental effects. Sphere Immersive Sound, developed with Holoplot, uses audio beamforming and wave field synthesis to deliver spatial audio throughout the auditorium. Haptic seating, infrasound, atmospheric wind and scent extend the experience beyond the screen. These systems support both original cinematic programming and visual environments tailored to individual musical performances.

Programming includes immersive films such as Postcard from Earth and The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, alongside residencies by artists including Dead & Company, Phish, Eagles and Backstreet Boys. The venue also hosts corporate presentations and brand experiences, while its exterior display supports architectural advertising campaigns and commissioned visual content.

Content development is supported by Sphere Studios, a dedicated creative, technology and production operation in Burbank. Its facilities combine content development, post-production, spatial sound work and camera research, allowing productions to be developed and tested for Sphere’s unusual presentation format. The resulting operating model connects purpose-built exhibition technology with content created specifically for the medium.

Sphere’s current identity emerged during the April 2023 corporate separation that established the traditional Madison Square Garden live-venue business as an independent company. Its entertainment activities are held within the Sphere Entertainment corporate group.