After five years of hype and construction, no less than 54,000 m2 of LED on its exterior, and space for some 20,000 punters, the ambitious venue known simply as Sphere opened in Las Vegas last September, immediately becoming one of the world’s most recognisable structures.
As the largest spherical building in the world, enjoying an endless supply of animations and advertisements on its massive LED structure, our social media feeds have been filled with its image ever since.
It is also notable for having the most expensive price tag ever for an entertainment venue on the Las Vegas strip – some US$2.3 Billion. That’s a greater budget than that of Allegiant Stadium, the massive Las Vegas sports venue which just hosted the Super Bowl and will be hosting Australia’s NRL kick off game for the first time this weekend.
While it would be fair to assume that this cost was due to the enormity of its exterior, no expense was spared in making every part of the Sphere experience unlike anything else on the planet. Entering this venue is like walking into a spaceship from the future.
The venue’s atrium is all part of what’s billed as “The Sphere Experience”, which includes an hour spent with interactive AI robots, holographic art installations and what they dub “22nd Century Technology”, ahead of a 55 minute film. Overall, it’s an experience best described as sensory overload – especially once you step foot inside the theatre itself.
The theatre contains the largest and highest-resolution screen in the world. It wraps around half of the venue, with 15,000 m2 of LEDs, delivering an image at 16K resolution. By comparison, IMAX digital projections are 2-8K and IMAX 70mm Film ranges from 12-18K resolution. So this is CRISP, to say the least.
With U2 opening the venue on September 29th (their 40th and final show will take place this weekend – March 2nd – yes, the same night as the NRL game), the full display of the venue’s capabilities were put on show on October 6th. That’s when the first film made exclusively for the venue – Postcard From Earth, directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Wrestler, Requiem For A Dream etc.) – premiered.
So outside the impressive statistics, is the film any good? And what’s it all about anyway?
For the Sphere’s cinematic debut, Aronofsky has delivered part sci-fi drama, part documentary, that was filmed in 18K using Big Sky cameras.
Ultimately, it’s a film designed to show off the technology and get you used to its scale. This is 270 degrees of cinema, truly enveloping the viewer (and your peripheral vision). And the film does this incredibly well, all while delivering a timely message on the dangers of Climate Change.
The film takes you through the past, present and future – showing off some incredible images from all over the world.
What surprised me about the experience was how they don’t rest on the laurels of the insane scope of the screen. As though the awe-inspiring screen was not enough of a selling point, they wanted you to feel it, too. About 10,000 of the venue’s 18,600 seats are used for the film screenings, as they are built with the requisite haptic technology. So your seats rumble and they even add air effects! They really want to surprise you and overwhelm your senses by this experience.
And, without giving anything away, there’s a moment in the film where you collectively, audibly gasp with thousands of other people. It makes me think of the first time I saw a movie in IMAX, or witnessed The Matrix for the first time in cinemas, or Avatar in 3D. There is a genuine feeling that this is a step forward for the possibilities of filmmaking as you watch it.
The only issue it faces is that, thanks to the scale of the screen, and the steepness of the venue (across some 9 floors), that people who are easily prone to motion sickness, or a sensitivity to heights, may struggle in the space. As someone who does deal with motion sickness, I did find it a bit of a challenge at times – and I doubt I could have handled it for more than an hour. Is this something that we’d get used to with more visits to the venue? Will longer films find a way to address this? Only time will tell.
The sky is the limit for what can cinematic experiences be achieved here. When else have people travelled from around the world to see a “destination” film? That’s the experience of a theme park. But then again, Vegas is a theme park for adults, so it all checks out. Suffice it to say, it ranks as one of the most awe-inspiring experiences I’ve ever had, and I can’t wait to make it back and see what else the venue has in store for us.
And of course there are the concerts still to come, which will also utilise the massive LED screen to great effect, as U2 have been doing since launch.
By the time March 2nd rolls along, and U2 have the final date of their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere experience, the Irish group will have performed an incredible 40 dates at the venue, with fans flying in from all over the world – including Australia – to witness the spectacle. Next up will be Phish, who have a few dates April 18-21, and then Dead & Company, who have announced Dead Forever Live at Sphere, set to run in the space from May 16th to July 13th.
Final Verdict
When was the last time you did something that took your breath away? With little hyperbole, this is your chance for that experience.
It’s the world’s biggest screen, inside and out, with 10,000 haptic seats. It’s a venue that looks like it’s been transported from the future. There is so much new and exciting about this venue that it’s honestly overwhelming. And with this first film, we’re only getting a taste of the long term possibilities that the venue’s unique technology will permit.
I can’t remember the last time I gasped in unison with thousands of other people – a true collective experience. Just when you thought you’d seen it all, the Sphere has come along and changed the game. You can bet directors like Christopher Nolan are thinking about what they might be able to do in the space.
Between the concerts and the film – with no doubt others in the works – it is clear that Sphere is going to be a destination venue that will enthrall guests for decades to come, with its long lasting potential still to be realised.
In the meantime, Postcard From Earth is worth the trip to Las Vegas alone for the collective gasp of experiencing this venue for the first time, the sheer scale of its visuals and the knowledge that you were one of the tens of thousands of people who got to experience the Sphere this soon after its long anticipated launch. A launch that has lived up to all the hype, for a venue that’s just getting started.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
For tickets and more details about The Sphere Experience, which includes the AI experience in the Atrium, and the film Postcard From Earth, head to their official website.
Photos by the author.
The author visited the Sphere as a guest of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).
While in Las Vegas, the author stayed at the sparkling new Fontainebleau Las Vegas Resort.
