Lighting up Las Vegas: The Sphere’s most eye-popping displays since lighting up Sin City five months ago

• Las Vegas was illuminated by the city’s new state-of-the-art entertainment venue ‘Sphere’ on the Fourth of July
• Sphere has wowed Vegas crowds for months now with astounding spectacles both inside and out
• 1.2 million LED lights have transformed Sphere into a breathtaking 4th of July fireworks display, a Halloween pumpkin, a snow globe for the holidays and more

The newest jewel in Las Vegas’s crown, the $2.3 billion Sphere arena, has dazzled the crowds of Sin City since lighting up for the first time on the Fourth of July.

The Madison Square Garden-owned entertainment venue – which was built at a cost of $2.3 billion – stands 336-feet tall and 516-feet wide, making it the largest spherical structure in the world. 

It officially opened on September 29, with two U2 concerts for 20,000 fans. Since then, the band has continued its residency inside and The Sphere has hosted F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix as well as The Sphere Experience – an immersive ‘part sci-fi story, part nature documentary’. 

Outside, the frame’s structure is wrapped in 1.2 million LED lights which transform it into a gigantic display. Inside, it features a 16k-resolution curved screen – which stands about 250ft tall and 400ft wide.

But, despite being the latest drawcard on the Strip, the Sphere has reported an operating loss of $98.4 million. 

The company attributed the losses to ‘corporate overhead, expenses related to Sphere Studios and associated content and technology development as well as costs related to operating Las Vegas venue’.

But CEO James Dolan says that since the U2 concerts opened, the Sphere ‘grossed over $1 million in average daily ticket sales each day’ since. And he expects it to keep making money. 

Here are some of the most eye-popping displays from the striking structure: 

The Las Vegas Sphere first lit up on Jly 4 after seven years of designing and planning. The structure has kept the Nevada city on its toes with innovative and astonishing designs using some of the best technology in the world. Here, Sphere is lit up with an ultra HD octopus-like art display in mesmerizing shades of pink, blue and purple 

Sphere made a bold first statement on the Fourth of July this year with a display of dazzling fireworks, stars and stripes animations and a message that simply said ‘hello world’. The breathtaking display caught the immediate attention of the city and provided a small taste of what was to come with the brand new venue

The new entertainment venue in Sin City is the largest spherical structure in the world. Sphere flaunts an outside frame wrapped with 1.2 million LED lights – which transform it into a gigantic breathtaking display that sets the record for the largest of its kind

Sphere is just off the Las Vegas strip and east of the iconic Venetian resort – the strip has been mesmerized by the many incredible displays and designs that the venue has unveiled since its launch. Here you can see the massive structure’s close proximity to the iconic ‘High Roller’ Ferris wheel as the venue lights up like a vibrant and detailed globe 

Plans are currently in place to develop a copycat structure in London – but locals there have complained it would blight their surroundings by essentially operating as a massive billboard that can be used to host commercials 24/7. The U.S. $2.3billion project debuted in the center of Vegas on July 4 with patriotic displays that lit up the Vegas sky

The Independence Day firework display put on by Sphere as part of their debut wowed audience members with countless displays using state of the art technology and captivating designs – including the tremendous fireworks seen exploding into the night sky in this picture

Sphere launched on September 29 with a residency from Irish band U2, whose sell-out shows offered tickets from $400 to $1,450. Fans were dazzled by the ‘mind-blowing’ visuals beamed inside the 22,000-seat venue – and reviews said the band was overshadowed by the sheer scale of the cinematic effects

A slew of celebrities were among the crowd of more than 20,000 who received the first-look at the much-anticipated show at Sphere, including Jon Hamm, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre, Dakota Fanning, Connie Britton, Elizabeth Banks, Aaron Paul, Bryan Cranston, Josh Duhamel, Jane Seymour and Kate Hudson

The outside of Sphere, or the Exosphere, is the largest LED screen on Earth, consisting of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes. Pictured is an astonishingly high-detail projection of a close-up eyeball which showcases the groundbreaking technology of Sphere’s exterior 

‘The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard – it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,’ said Guy Barnett, Sphere’s SVP of brand strategy and creative development

The new music entertainment arena lit up as a very realistic and ginormous basketball to celebrate the 2023 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 9, 2023

Even in the light of day Sphere manages to light up with phenomenal projections. Here – Sphere is seen displaying hundreds of basketballs that appear to be bouncing amidst purple lights in line with NBA’s summer season 

Inside of the 516-foot-wide Sphere, a high-resolution LED screen wraps halfway around the 17,500-seat audience. The design in this picture shows how incredibly detailed the Sphere’s exterior screens can be – with contoured alcoves and tiny figures in this art projection

The Sphere is the brainchild of Dolan, the executive chair of Madison Square Garden and owner of the New York Knicks and Rangers. He sketched the first drawing of the venue on notebook paper

The venue is equipped with thousands of speakers that will deliver a ‘crystal-clear,’ multi-layered experience. A vibrant display on July 9 showcased a detailed design featuring a mirror ball 

The Sphere got into the spooky spirit over the weekend before Halloween and lit up like a giant pumpkin carved with a happy face. The shadowing and colors accomplished by the millions of LED light gave the perfect Jack-o’-lantern effect

The structure is a stone’s throw from The Strip – which can be seen in the background of this picture – and accessed through the Venetian. Construction started in 2019 with an initial projected cost of $1.2 billion – but the true cost ballooned to $2.3 billion

Since opening on September 29 with a U2 concert for 20,000 fans – the giant structure has hosted F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix as well as The Sphere Experience – which is an immersive ‘part sci-fi story, part nature documentary’ showcasing the Sphere’s impressive technology

Nighttime aerial images of the Las Vegas circuit of the first Formula One race held in the city for 40 years feature Sphere lit up at the center with a take on the iconic ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada’ sign. The 20 cars raced past the iconic MSG Sphere and then down The Famous Strip at speeds over 200mph

Formula One cars raced around the outside of the Sphere – which was designed as a Google Chrome icon in line with the event’s sponsorship – prior to the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race on November 15

‘Sphere’s Exosphere doesn’t just complement the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, it elevates it to new heights, turning every lap into a mesmerizing experience for fans in attendance and watching on TV globally,’ said Las Vegas Grand Prix Chief Commercial Officer Emily Prazer

One of the breathtaking projections that the Sphere showcased at their Fourth of July debut was a stunning snow globe winter wonderland featuring an animated castle surrounded by trees amidst a flurry of snow. The sphere transformed into an unbelievably realistic snow globe – only so much larger 

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