Sphere venue review 2025: Where to buy tickets, takeaways

I recently experienced something fairly common during a large-scale conference: I was invited to too many evening events.

At professional Sin City get-togethers, outside of the conference itself, there are all sorts of other networking, eating, drinking, or just have-some-fun activities typically hosted by companies who invite representatives of groups they are working with or wish to work with someday. When the conference is in a place like Las Vegas, the entertaining opportunities expand exponentially.

Basically, it’s the best kind of problem a person could possibly have.

Still, I’ve wanted to see what Sphere is all about since the groundbreaking venue opened in September 2023. To me, it seemed like a wonderful visual expansion of what a concert experience could be. A few weeks ahead of my event in Las Vegas, I was ecstatic to have received an invite to an evening at Sphere, but plot twist! I had already made dinner plans that same night. So, I sat on the Sphere offer, in this case to see ‘V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film,’ while I mulled over whether I could or should change my meal plans or simply try to do both.

Is it worth it to go to Sphere Las Vegas? 

Ultimately, I decided to embrace the wild ride that is Las Vegas and accepted the invitation to Sphere. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see this one-of-a-kind live event space. I infrequently go to Vegas and my visits are typically just for this annual conference, and, as I alluded to, it’s always a busy jam-packed time. 

The concert doors opened at 7, though the show, according to Sphere staff, wouldn’t begin until 7:45. Meanwhile, my dinner at the Bellagio was at 8. I figured the maximum acceptable time to be late to a large group dinner was 20 minutes (my logic based on the 15-minute grace period a restaurant typically allows reservations, but with a group dinner, many guests would already be there and maybe 20 minutes in, if lucky, family-style appetizers are on the table and a drink is quick to order since the bar has likely already addressed the rest of the group). 

In my excitement, I neglected to remember the process of actually entering a concert venue. It’s not the type of thing where you just waltz through the doors. The footprint is massive so finding the right place to enter and waiting in line to go through security does take some time. After I entered, I actually learned I went in through the general entrance, and I actually could have had a likely more “VIP” experience since I was going into a suite. As a result, I had to go back downstairs to get a wristband for the proper access. Regardless, it only took roughly 12 minutes to get inside, go to the suite elevators, reach my level, go back downstairs to get my wristband and get back up and into my suite. The pleasant staff was incredibly helpful and even escorted me to various points. 

In addition to the human staff, there is also at least one A.I. robot I saw and people were obsessed with it. The human-like metal man seemed to be telling the history of U2’s Sphere residency.

After comfortably settling in, I marveled at the venue and enjoyed a drink. Finally, I had a moment to really appreciate Sphere. OK, this was totally worth the trouble.

30 minutes later, the show began.

‘V-U2’ felt so real even though it’s an immersive concert film in actuality. Bono and The Edge’s presence is felt with 3D effects and the pounding music sounds live and not at all like a recording. The people in my suite were dumbfounded. How could this be?

U2’s trippy visuals illuminate the space and the majority of the venue is taken over by the show so it feels completely immersive. I’m so, so, so glad I got to experience this venue. The hype is real.

Final verdict: If you’re ever in Vegas, Sphere should be a space you make a priority, whether for a show or a film, even if your schedule is busy. Drop your dinner plans and make it work.

Other shows at the Las Vegas Sphere

When U2 isn’t lighting up Sphere’s stage, you can catch Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky’s ambitious immersive film “Postcard From Earth” on most nights.

However, the main event are the live acts that bring their residencies to the globe-like space.

For a closer look at who will be there, these next few months, here are all the artists headed to Sphere in the near future.