VIDEO: Sphere’s External Display Makes Las Vegas Strip Debut on July 4th

Posted on: July 5, 2023, 09:02h. 

Last updated on: July 5, 2023, 01:47h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Las Vegas Myths.

Other than the skies over the resorts participating in the annual July 4th fireworks display, visitors to the Las Vegas Strip had something else to stare slack-jawed at on Tuesday night. And that was the official debut of the Sphere behind The Venetian.

The Sphere
The Sphere unfurls its red, white, and blue during the Las Vegas Strip’s July 4th celebration. (Image: Sphere Entertainment)

The Sphere, though still owned by Madison Square Garden Entertainment, has apparently dropped its “MSG” prefix, fully illuminated its Exosphere display screen at night for the first time since its construction. The 580K square-foot exterior canvas, the largest LED screen on Earth, began with a welcoming “Hello World,” followed by stunning visuals that included fireworks, floral patterns, underwater scenes, the lunar surface, and, of course, the American flag.

Check out the video below:

“The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard – it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,” Guy Barnett, Sphere’s senior VP of brand strategy, said in a statement. “Last night’s show provided a glimpse of the Exosphere’s captivating power, and the possibilities for artists, partners, and brands to create compelling and impactful stories to connect with audiences in new ways.”

The Sphere’s first official greeting precedes its July 4th display. (Image: Sphere Entertainment)

Sphere Goes Nothing

The Exosphere, developed by a team of creative, production, technology, and software experts at Sphere Studios in Burbank, Calif., consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colors.

“There’s nothing comparable to the impact from displaying innovative brand and immersive content on the world’s largest video screen,” added David Hopkinson, MSG Sports’ president and chief operating officer of MSG Sports. “The extraordinary experiences we can create are only limited by imagination.”

The Sphere’s July 4th debut was strategic. It’s still seeking brand partnerships and sponsors to help recoup its astronomical cost, now at $2.3 billion and counting, and needs to wow corporate decision-makers with both its capabilities and the interest it generates.

The Sphere will open to the public on September 29 with U2’s “UV Achtung Baby” residency.  Director Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth” movie, which premieres October 6, is the only other programming announced.