On Tuesday in Las Vegas, July 4th fireworks weren’t the only things lighting up the sky. For the first time ever, the external dome of The Sphere — a new venue opening this September on the Las Vegas strip — was animated in a dynamic visual display demonstrating the full capacity of what this dome, Exosphere, can do.
During the display, Exosphere was lit with an American flag motif, lit as the moon, as fireworks and as other wild visuals.
“The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard — it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,” Guy Barnett, The Sphere’s svp brand strategy and creative development, said in a statement. “Last night’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.”
Exosphere is a 580,000 square foot programmable LED exterior made up of roughly 1.2 million LED “pucks,” each spaced eight inches apart. Each puck is made of 48 LED diodes, and every diode is able to to display 256 million different colors. Exosphere’s July 4 show was the beginning of programming that will continue throughout this month.
Built and operated by Madison Square Garden Entertainment, The Sphere officially opens this September with a residency from U2. This residency, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, will feature the band playing its 1991 classic LP Achtung Baby, with shows extending from September through December.
For concerts, the MSG Sphere at The Venetian can hold 20,000 standing spectators or 17,500 seated guests, with 23 VIP suites. Connected to the Venetian Resort via a 1,000-foot-long pedestrian bridge, The Sphere will include 160,000 square feet of video viewing space and state-of-the-art spatial audio.
“Sphere’s Exosphere is a 360-degree canvas for brand storytelling that will be seen around the world, offering our partners an unparalleled opportunity to become part of the greatest show on Earth,” said David Hopkinson, president and chief operating officer of MSG Sports. “There’s nothing comparable to the impact from displaying innovative brand and immersive content on the world’s largest video screen. The extraordinary experiences we can create are only limited by imagination, and we’re thrilled to finally share with the world the spectacular potential of the Exosphere.”
See more photos of the Exosphere below:
