Rock legends U2 launched their Las Vegas residency on Friday night in a show that blew fans away at the official opening of the Sphere.
At 336 feet tall and 516 feet wide, the venue is now the largest spherical structure in the world, housing the largest interior and exterior wraparound LED displays. For now, it is the home of the iconic Irish rockers' U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency, who are playing their first of more than two dozen performances scheduled through December 16.
“What a fancy pad,” said Bono, who was accompanied onstage by guitarists The Edge and Adam Clayton along with drummer Bram van den Berg. He then stared at the high-resolution LED screen that projected a larger version of himself along with a few praying hands and bells.
Bono then paid homage to the late Elvis Presley, who was a Las Vegas entertainment staple. "Look at all this stuff. … Elvis has definitely not left this building,” he continued. “It’s an Elvis chapel. It’s an Elvis cathedral. Tonight, the entry into this cathedral is a password: flirtation.”
After wrapping up The Beatles’ jam “Love Me Do,” Bono recognized Paul McCartney, who was in attendance, saying “Macca is in the house tonight.”
They performed a slew of hits including “Mysterious Ways,” “Zoo Station,” “All I Want is You," “Desire" and the new single “Atomic City.”
Fans have been going wild over the "absolutely insane" and 'mind-blowing' visual experience inside the venue.
Other celebs among the crowd included Oprah, LeBron James, Matt Damon, Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Dakota Fanning, Aaron Paul, Flava Flav, Diplo, Orlando Bloom, Kate Hudson, and more.
The Sphere is the brainchild of James Dolan, the executive chair of Madison Square Garden and owner of the New York Knicks and Rangers. He sketched the first drawing of the venue on notebook paper.