Everything You Need to Know About Las Vegas' Breathtaking Sphere

Las Vegas got a little bit brighter over the weekend when the Sphere at the Venetian Resort made its big debut to the public. The one-of-a-kind venue became a polarizing part of the Vegas skyline when it first lit up the city over the summer. Now, visitors have gotten a firsthand look at the interior, and it's nothing short of breathtaking.

How big is the Las Vegas Sphere?

At its broadest point, the Sphere measures 366 feet high and 516 feet wide. The seats, while comfortable, might prove to be challenging for some tall and plus-sized guests, as video from the event showed a size 20 woman snugly fitting in her chair.

How does the Sphere work?

The Sphere's outer shell—the world's largest LED screen—is made up of more than one million baseball-sized LED lights that change color to create incredible imagery for viewers from the outside. The inside screen is even more impressive, as it stretches high above and around the 18,600-seat audience. The 160,000-square-foot wraparound screen projects images in 16K, while state-of-the-art speakers deliver high-quality audio meant to make spectators feel the sound vibrations. Guests are also thrown into the show thanks to 4D effects from their seats.

Where are the best seats in the Sphere?

When buying concert tickets at an arena or stadium, it's often better to sit as low and close to the ground as possible for the most immersive experience. At the Sphere, however, those aren't exactly the best seats in the house.

Video from inside the U2 concert shows what the 100, 200, 300, and 400-level seats offer viewers. Because the 100 level is under the upper levels, people seated here won't be able to look up and see the breathtaking screen stretching all the way to the top of the sphere. The 200 and 300 levels offer the best of both worlds with an unobstructed view from floor to ceiling and proximity to the stage where performers actually stand. The 400s, meanwhile, have the same sweeping views of the screen, though are further away from the stage. General admission doesn't have physical seats but has the best overall "seat" in the house, as it's close to the stage and has a direct screen view all the way up to the roof.

What are the Sphere's food and drink options?

The Sphere wows visitors at every turn, not just when they're sitting in their seats watching the show. Food and drink options in the futuristic concourse are priced between $15 and $30, and if you're not in the mood to wait in line, you can help yourself at one of the self-service shops.

What are some upcoming shows at the Sphere?

U2 kicked off its 25-show UV Achtung Baby residency on Sept. 29 with stars like Oprah, LeBron James, and Matt Damon in attendance. The 22-time Grammy Award winners are set to continue playing approximately three shows a week at the Sphere through mid-December.

The Irish rockers aren't the only ones who'll be lighting up the massive screen in the coming months. On nights when U2 isn't playing, visitors can buy tickets to The Sphere Experience, which features a screening of Postcard From Earth, a specially commissioned film by award-winning director Darren Aronofsky meant to demonstrate the venue's technologies to their full capacity. The "part sci-fi story, part nature documentary" is designed to "make you feel like you're anywhere but Las Vegas," all with the guidance of Aura, the show's robot tour guide.

"I see Sphere as a great opportunity to pluck people from the bling and thrum of the Vegas strip in all its human constructed madness and immerse them as fully as possible in the wonder, awe, and beauty of the natural world," Aronofsky said of the production. "Postcard from Earth is a sci-fi journey deep into our future as our descendants reflect on our shared home."