“The Sphere Minimizes a Band”: Paul Stanley on Why KISS Never Performed at the Sphere

When the Las Vegas Sphere first opened its doors, countless bands hoped to get an invitation. For Dead & Company, Eagles, U2, Phish, and even the Backstreet Boys, that opportunity quickly turned into one of the most sought-after stages in music. But there was one group that cared little about traveling to Vegas. Having performed on some of the biggest stages in the world, KISS apparently wanted nothing to do with the Sphere. And according to Paul Stanley, such a performance would only diminish the band. 

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Since retiring from the stage, KISS has consistently promoted their newest venture – an avatar version of their famous concert. Although members like Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons care little for the word “avatar”, the show has often been compared to ABBA Voyage. But with fans having to wait until 2028 for the new experience, Stanley discussed the idea of performing at the Sphere during that time. 

According to Stanley, “Towards the end of the [‘End Of The Road’ farewell] tour, people were saying, ‘Why don’t you play the Sphere?’ The truth of it is, the Sphere minimizes a band. It makes a band miniature. You’re not going there to see a band — you’re going to see screens.”

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While designed with 580,000 sq ft of LED displays, the Sphere created an atmosphere that visually transported fans into the music. But still, that didn’t win over Stanley, who continued, “We wanted to incorporate the highest of technology, but we want to be the center of it. It’s a very, very different experience than going to see a postage stamp with a band on it. This is the antithesis of that — it’s 180 degrees from that. The show is going to be spectacular, but it’s only as good as what you put into it.”

Stanley promised that it was “hard to comprehend” what KISS was hoping to achieve. But using ABBA Voyage as a template, he suggested, “If you’ve seen the ABBA show [‘ABBA Voyage’, also produced by Pophouse], everybody who’s there is having an amazing time. You become immersed in those four people on stage. This takes it even further.” 

As KISS looks toward the future, the band is betting on innovation. For now, fans will have to wait to see if the band’s vision can deliver something even more immersive than the Las Vegas Sphere.

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)