U2 at the Sphere

 I was invited to Heather's final 2023 concert extravaganza, a getaway weekend to Las Vegas to see U2 at the Sphere

The $2.3 billion concert venue just opened and is affiliated with the Venetian hotel and casino

There are over a million LEDs on the surface

but the owners didn't feel inclined to show them off while we were there

The Venetian is a spectacle unto itself, with a huge indoor shopping area complete with faux canal. The hotel complex, 2nd largest in the world, has over 7,000 rooms and was fully booked

But the space could handle the crowds, even when "Bono" made an appearance in the foyer

The U2 fan zone had a photo booth

and cinema where we watched a 1987 Joshua Tree tour concert filmed in France

Onto the show. Our entrance was via a walkway connecting to the massive Vegas convention center

The inside atrium was decorated in math equations that the builders are hoping will help recoup the outrageous building cost

Our seats were in the first of the seven tiers that hold 18,000 people. We were just behind the standing-room floor

A DJ tried to rev up the aged crowd. In our section we were the youngest couple.

The effects of the Sphere screen were absolutely incredible. The sound was pure and not overly loud. 

For the early part of the show, the band downplayed the screen, but then they built as the show went on

Not sure if YouTube will allow upload of the movies, but here are some stills