Tuesday night's 247th Fourth of July celebrations in Las Vegas featured a huge sphere lighting up the night sky. A structure almost similar to a mysterious, black spaceship appears to be parked in the middle of the Las Vegas cityscape until dusk, when it begins to shine like the planet Earth from space.
Although the MSG Sphere will not be accessible to the general public for another two and a half months, interest is increasing.
According to CNN, it is advertised as the largest spherical construction in the world, being 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide. The wraparound LED screen there purportedly has the highest resolution in the entire world.
Additionally, it has 1.2 million hockey puck-sized LEDs on its outside that can be programmed to flash dynamic graphics on the largest possible scale—repeatedly the largest in the world.
On Tuesday night, in honour of the Fourth of July, it was fully lit for the first time.
The structure has surprisingly rapidly developed interest among the public despite being in the middle of a city that boasts the second-tallest observation tower in the Western Hemisphere, the Bellagio's dancing fountains, a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, and a light beam that can be seen for hundreds of miles.
Those who have seen Sphere are responding with raptures.
"It's absolutely stunning to look up and see what's in front of you," says Rich Claffey, Sphere's chief operations officer. "I've been in the entertainment business for almost 40 years. I've never seen anything like this, and I'm not exaggerating. It is off the charts."
Every day and night, animations and other visuals, sometimes associated with the season, will be projected onto the exterior of the Sphere. For instance, it might change shape to become a huge pumpkin for Halloween and a snow globe for Christmas.
On Twitter, some jokers have already predicted that the massive, swirling images will result in car accidents. The arena will hold performances of music, films, and certain sports.
Populous, the international architecture firm behind many of the greatest sports arenas in the world, created Sphere. The globe, which has about 18,000 seats and is located one long block east of the famed Las Vegas Strip, will include a pedestrian walkway connecting it to the Venetian casino complex.
On September 29, "U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere," a set of 25 concerts centred on the Irish band's seminal 1991 album "Achtung Baby," is planned to kick off the festival.
Sphere, a Las Vegas venue, will host exclusive screenings of "Postcard From Earth" and host Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix events. The arena also plans to host boxing, mixed martial arts, and live music.
"The screen goes from ground level to 250 feet high, all the way around," says Claffey, the Sphere operations officer. "It keeps you fully immersed when you're sitting in that bowl. I used to love IMAX in New York City, but this will blow that away."
Moreover, Sphere's producers promise next-level audio with over 160,000 speakers, ensuring pristine sound for all seats. The venue also features haptic seats and 4D machines for wind, temperature, and scent effects.
“The way I describe it to my friends and family is, it’s the entertainment venue of the future,” Claffey says.
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