U2 is taking its innovative live shows to the next level with U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, an upcoming residency at Sphere at The Venetian in Las Vegas.
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For five nights in September and October 2023, the iconic rock band will take over the cutting-edge venue that lacks typical speakers hanging from the ceiling, as the sound instead comes through the floorboards, making the entire circular venue a sound booth. There are also 360-degree video screens both inside and outside the venue that hold between 17,000 and 20,000 people, with each seat equipped with wifi access. Atmospheric effects like wind and scents will add to the concert experience. U2 will be the first act to perform in the groundbreaking venue on September 29 and 30 and October 5, 7, and 8. This marks their first live show since The Joshua Tree Tour 2019.
“U2 hasn’t played live since December 2019 and we need to get back on stage and see the faces of our fans again,” the band says in a statement, with the title nodding to their blockbuster 1991 album, Achtung Baby. “And what a unique stage they’re building for us out there in the desert… We’re the right band, ACHTUNG BABY the right album, and Sphere the right venue to take the live experience of music to the next level … Sphere is more than just a venue, it’s a gallery and U2’s music is going to be all over the walls.”
The band teased the Vegas show during a commercial that aired during the 2032 Super Bowl. In the ad, U2’s creative director for their live shows for the past 40 years, Willie Williams, shares that he got a call from frontman Bono telling him about the venue.
“The Sphere is completely unprecedented,” Williams remarks. “Every time we go to do something new, it’s a whole blank slate. And thinking of a sphere, suddenly everything is circular. I feel like we’ve cracked the code.”
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday (April 28) at 10 a.m. A fan presale is available now and ends on Wednesday (April 26) at 10 a.m. ET.
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere Dates:
09/29 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere
09/30 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere
10/05 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere
10/07 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere
10/08 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere
Photo by Sam Jones/ KF Publicity
