[UPDATE]: Due to overwhelming demand, U2 has tacked on a dozen additional dates to the band’s fall residency at the Sphere at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Billed as U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, the special engagement marking the first shows at the $2 billion immersive venue will now run from September through early November.
Shortly after pre-sale registration opened on Wednesday, Live Nation announced new concerts on October 11th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 20th, 21st, 25th, 27th, and 28th, and November 3rd and 4th. The concert production company reported over one million ticket requests for the initial slate of five shows revealed earlier this week.
In order to accommodate the massive demand, only those fans who already registered and received a code will be able to purchase tickets to the newly announced dates. U2.com members who were unable to purchase tickets during the initial ticket request will receive instructions on how to buy tickets to the new dates. Remaining tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 28th at staggered times via Ticketmaster.
[4/24/23]: U2 has confirmed five initial concerts for the band’s highly anticipated opening of the Sphere at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Billed as U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, performances are set for September 29th, 30th, October 5th, 7th, and 8th, though per Rolling Stone more shows will likely be added when the first five sell out.
As previously reported, the U2 residency at the new Sphere will celebrate the band’s 1991 album, Achtung Baby. Additionally, these immersive concerts will mark the Irish rock band’s first live performances in four years. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. will sit out the shows as he recovers from surgery, with Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton playing alongside Bram van den Berg.
All-in tickets for the U2 Sphere residency start at $140, with 60% of tickets going for less than $300. Subscribers of the band’s fan club will have first access to a pre-sale via a Ticketmaster Request period open now through Wednesday, April 26th. Fans can register now through Wednesday for the Ticketmaster Verified pre-sale on Thursday, April 27th. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 28th at 10 a.m. ET. General admission floor seats will only be able to be resold for face value on the Ticketmaster Face Value Exchange.
Construction on what was then known as the MSG Sphere began back in October 2018. Touting itself as the world’s largest sphere at 516 feet wide and 366 feet tall with seats for 17,600 people, the Sphere also encapsulates the world’s largest LED screen. With reported costs of nearly $2 billion, the venue hosts the latest in concert innovation including Sphere Immersive Sound, 164,000 speakers, and 4D technologies bringing physical sensations like cool breezes and temperature control into the venue.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, The Edge noted that—due to the highly choreographed nature of the performances—the concerts will look very similar from night to night. Additionally, while it’s commonplace for Las Vegas residencies to stretch on for months or even years, given the long line of musicians vying to perform at the Sphere, U2’s stay likely won’t last past the fall.
“We’re just going to take it one step at a time and see how it all works out,” The Edge said. “We won’t rule out doing further shows. At this point, we’re putting up five shows initially. We’ll just see how that goes.”
In another interview with Zan Lowe for Apple Music, The Edge and Bono take a tour of the Sphere with the guitarist expounding, “There’s nothing like it, it’s light years ahead of everything that’s out there.” Check out the full interview below.
U2 Tour Sphere in Las Vegas | Apple Music
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