It seems like just yesterday that the Vegas Sphere announced the U2 Vegas residency that would help open the venue. And now here we are, just five months and 40 shows later, talking about them leaving town. Sort of sad, really.
The band’s UV Achtung Baby Live concert series is officially closing, with the final performances scheduled for March 1st and 2nd. There are a few tickets left, if you really want to go. But be prepared to shell out over $1,000 a seat.
Originally, the U2 Vegas residency was slated for a mere 25 shows. However, demand for the legendary band was just too much, and they just kept selling out shows. Must be nice to be so loved. In fact, their very first show at the Las Vegas Sphere on September 29th, 2023, was attended by Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi, Snoop Dogg and other pop stars.
So now, the question is who will follow this hard to follow act? Well, just before New Year it was announced that after the U2 Vegas residency there will be some Phish moving in. That is, the band Phish. However, at this point they are only slated to play four shows between April 18th and 21st. And extending them may be a challenge. Why is that?
Well, there’s already another band coming into the Sphere. Dead & Company, which is made up of several former members of the Grateful Dead, is supposed to open an 18 show stand beginning just three weeks later in the middle of May.
It will be interesting to see how the Las Vegas Sphere holds up as a concert venue now that the U2 Vegas residency is closing. As amazing as the building is, they will need to continue to bring is big name acts if they want to keep the lights on. After all, selling advertising on the exterior will only get you so far.