Having a Ball in Las Vegas

Near the Las Vegas Strip looms an enormous, glowing, moon-shaped structure that blends art and music in a way no other venue has before. Known as the Sphere, it hosts touring musicians for months-long residencies. It is also the world’s largest and most technologically advanced canvas.

On the outside, the Sphere is a glowing digital artwork. Inside, music and visual art come together to create an entire world. The art is not a sidebar to the music; it is an essential part of the overall experience. Visual artists work alongside musicians to design what the audience sees, hears, and feels. At the Sphere, the audience is not just listening to the music—they are surrounded by it!

For the audience at concerts during U2’s 2023-2024 residency, above, all the senses were engaged. As the band performed, massive visuals shifted and pulsed across the interior walls, synced to the rhythm and mood of the music. At times, the imagery made it feel like you were floating through space or standing inside a living painting. Even the seats are part of the design—subtle vibrations let you feel the beat in your body, blurring the lines between sound, sight, and touch.

The Sphere is also home to a series called XOArt. Prominent artists like Shepard Fairey and Jen Stark create large-scale animated works for the Sphere’s exterior screens. Stark’s signature drips cascade across the surface, above.

Many of the featured artists are more accustomed to working on smaller two-dimensional surfaces. Translating their vision to a three-dimensional sphere involves paying attention to elements such as movement, rhythm, and form.