Rarely has an LED construction garnered as much attention as the tallest spherical building in the world: The Sphere in Las Vegas has been featured in all online media since the first 4th of July photo show. We have also reported this several times. The real show hasn’t even started yet – but more and more details about the building and immediate plans are being revealed. To give an overview of the Sphere, we have summarized here the most important questions – and the appropriate answers – with some photos and sketches.

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What is the official name of La Sphère?

The mega structure is known to most as the MSG Sphere, but the official name is now simply Sphere. It is because the company SphereEntertainment was spun off from parent company Madison Square Garden – MSG for short – Entertainment in April 2023 and now operates independently.

What is the size of the sphere?

The height of the sphere is 366 feet, or about 111 meters. The width of the sphere is 516 feet, or about 157 meters. According to the operator, it is the largest spherical structure in the world.

What’s inside the sphere?

The Las Vegas Sphere is home to a huge event space that can accommodate 20,000 guests. The stage is not in the middle, as one might suppose, but to the side. The rows of seats are arranged in a sort of semi-circle around the stage, with the inner surface of the LEDs arching above them.

The rest of the sphere contains the lobby, various facilities such as changing rooms and restaurants, and the stairs leading to the rows of seats. In addition, the so-called “immersive” galleries should prolong the experience before and after the event.

How big is the LED area of ​​The Sphere?

The exterior LED facade of the Sphere covers an area of ​​580,000 square feet, or approximately 53,880 square meters. Add to that the LED interior area of ​​160,000 square feet; it is about 14,860 square meters. According to the operator, the interior LED has a resolution of 16K.

How many LEDs cover The Sphere?

As usual with round objects, The Sphere is constructed from countless interlocking triangles. A total of 1.2 million LED units are installed, each with 48 LED diodes. The distance between the units is 8 inches, or about 20 centimeters.

Who was responsible for the LED facade of The Sphere?

The LED technology for the exterior facade and the interior trim comes from saco. The LED specialist, headquartered in Canada, has already carried out many emblematic projects, such as the LED panels of the Burj Khalifa (Invidis report). The LED elements have been specially adapted for Sphere by Saco. Matching processors, connection boxes and data extenders from the company are also used.

When does La Sphere open?

The Sphere officially opens on September 29, 2023 – rock band U2 will open it with their first concert; there will be more by December 2023. The show is called “UV Warning Baby” – Warning Baby was U2’s seventh album – and was created specifically for The Sphere.

What shows will there be at The Sphere?

The operator provides a large range of events: From concerts to resident and immersive shows to sporting events. In addition to the U2 concerts, the show “Postcard from Earth” is already in preparation. It is an immersive experience specially designed for the Sphere. Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky is the show’s artistic director.

The Sphere announces an immersive 4D experience. What does that mean?

Even the LED surface has been designed in such a way that it surrounds the viewers as completely as possible – from the front, from the side and from above. In addition, The Sphere is equipped with a sophisticated audio system: it consists of approximately 1,600 permanently installed X1 matrix speaker modules and 300 mobile X1 modules from the Berlin technology company Holoplot. Holoplot’s next-generation D-Audio beamforming and wavefield synthesis technologies are used.

In addition, 10,000 seats are equipped with a haptic system to allow visitors to feel the experience. Temperature and wind are also part of the 4D experience.

How is the content designed for inside the Sphere?

Sphere Entertainment formed its own content team, Sphere Studios, for the shows. This also created the 4D content for the show “Postcard from Earth”. On the Burbank campus, there’s a mini version of The Sphere that’s “only” about 100 feet tall. It is equipped with an LED surface and 4D seats inside to design the experience with extreme precision.

What is the reception capacity of the Sphere?

A total of 20,000 people can be accommodated in The Sphere. There are approximately 17,600 places. However, it has been reported that the interior LED area is not fully visible from all seats. It is unclear to what extent an adjustment will take place here. There are also 23 VIP suites and other clubs. Tao Group acts as a strategic hotel partner.