LAS VEGAS, Aug. 21, 2024 - Sphere Entertainment Co. announced today a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience to be shown exclusively at Sphere. V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas, directed by Morleigh Steinberg and The Edge, showcases the history-making and future-defining U2:UV show directed by Willie Williams that played to over 700,000 fans from 100+ countries across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024. V-U2 is the first film ever to be shot entirely with Big Sky, the groundbreaking ultra-high-resolution camera system developed by Sphere Entertainment. V-U2 does not just capture U2's epic run at Sphere, it allows audiences to feel like they are at the live shows.
V-U2 is a Sphere Experience, Sphere's signature original content category. To create this larger-than-life concert film, a number of Big Sky cameras captured the band at extraordinary scale, sharpness, and clarity. V-U2 employs Sphere's immersive technologies including the 160,000 sq. ft. display plane, which at 16k x 16k resolution is the world's highest-resolution LED screen; Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, which provides crystal-clear sound to every seat in Sphere; and haptic seats, which use vibrations so guests can 'feel' the experience. All of these technologies, which were used to great effect in 'U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere,' will be leveraged in this Sphere Experience in new and different ways to reinforce the feeling of 'being there'.
Launching a venue like Sphere challenged the band to create a once-in-a-lifetime audio/visual concert experience and the same standards were upheld for the film. Co-directors The Edge and Morleigh Steinberg spoke about the filmmaking process:
"The goal was to give the immersive movie goers as close to the live U2:UV concert experience as possible — and then some. I've never seen a U2 show. I'm so relieved I caught a great one," said The Edge.
"We knew all the tremendous capabilities of the technology, but we didn't know what to expect from the process of making this film. The work became a true collaboration between band, artists, producers, and technology teams. The end result is a cinematic experience that transports viewers into the energy and beauty of the live show," said Morleigh Steinberg.
"V-U2 is a first-of-its-kind immersive film that will transport audiences back to U2's groundbreaking live Sphere shows and make them feel like they are there," said Josephine Vaccarello, Executive Vice President, Live, MSG Entertainment, who oversees live bookings for Sphere. "This concert film was created specifically for Sphere, and will utilize the venue's technologies to create an experience that is only possible at this next-generation entertainment medium."
V-U2 immortalizes the acclaimed 'U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere' show directed by Willie Williams. The film of the show was directed by The Edge and Morleigh Steinberg and was produced by The Edge, Bono and Adam Clayton, along with producer Alan Moloney, in a unique collaboration with Sphere Entertainment. Stefaan "Smasher" Desmedt, video director of the original show, also served as Associate Director of the film. Music production was by Jacknife Lee and Joe O'Herlihy, the band's longtime director of sound. Sphere Studios' Andrew Shulkind served as Director of Photography and the film was edited by the Studios' Robert Rivers Malina. U2's management is led by Irving and Jeffrey Azoff, both Executive Producers of the film. Jim Dolan is Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sphere Entertainment; Jennifer Koester serves as Sphere's President and Chief Operating Officer; Carolyn Blackwood is Head of Sphere Studios; and Josephine Vaccarello is Executive Vice President, Live for MSG Entertainment's Live division, and oversees live bookings for Sphere.
A global news event which saw the world's biggest rock band open the world's most state-of-the-art venue, 'U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere' quickly became a pop culture moment and a must-see for music lovers everywhere. The show's stunning visuals and live music performance, combined with the venue's immersive technology elements, including the world's most advanced audio system, became an instant social media sensation as hundreds of thousands of fans shared their U2:UV experience across multiple platforms generating billions of impressions, making U2:UV a truly global phenomenon. One of the band's most ambitious creative projects to date, it saw them work once again with longtime creative collaborator and show director Willie Williams, artists including Es Devlin, John Gerrard and Marco Brambilla, and longtime partner and producer Brian Eno.
Acknowledged as the most innovative live act in the world, U2 have always – since their earliest days, including the industry-defining ZOO TV Tour which broke the mold in 1992 – consistently pushed the boundaries of live performance, with ground-breaking stage shows that embrace the latest in technology and innovation. 'U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere' saw the band blaze a trail yet again, with fans, press and industry leaders hailing the run, and the venue, as the future of live entertainment.
V-U2 will open at Sphere on Thursday, September 5, 2024. U2.com subscribers have first access to presale tickets from Thursday, August 22 at 10:00AM PT through Friday, August 23 at 9:00AM PT via Ticketmaster.com. Sphere will also offer an exclusive presale to its Inner Circle subscribers from Thursday, August 22 at Noon PT through Friday, August 23 at 9:00AM PT via Ticketmaster.com. Join Sphere's Inner Circle by clicking here. Tickets will be available for purchase by the general public beginning on Friday, August 23 at 10:00AM PT via Ticketmaster.com. Tickets start at $100 and will reflect all-in pricing. This means the ticket price listed is the full out-of-pocket price inclusive of taxes and fees.
For press assets, including the trailer and drone footage of the Exosphere, please click here.
About U2
Formed in Dublin in 1978, the band were marked out by their drive and ambition from the beginning. U2 has toured the globe countless times, released 15 studio albums, sold over 170 million albums and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammys and Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience award. U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and have twice been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song: in 2003 for 'The Hands That Built America' for Gangs of New York, and in 2014 for 'Ordinary Love' for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. U2's fourteenth studio album Songs Of Experience – the companion release to 2014's Songs Of Innocence - was released in December 2017 debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200, setting U2 apart as the only band in history to have topped the chart in four successive decades. In 2018, the U2 hit the road with the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour, an arena production which saw the band continue to push the creative boundaries of technology and engineering. And following 2017's acclaimed stadium run with The Joshua Tree Tour - the record-breaking smash hit tour celebrating the band's seminal 1987 album The Joshua Tree – The Joshua Tree Tour took U2 to New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, as well as bring "the biggest band in the world" (The Guardian) to Singapore, Seoul, Manila and Mumbai for the very first time. In November 2019, the band released a track in collaboration with A.R. Rahman titled 'Ahimsa', which was performed live at Mumbai's, D.Y. Patil Stadium. In 2020, SiriusXM and U2 announced the launch of U2 X-Radio, a complete immersion into the work and influences of the band from the Northside of Dublin, all curated by U2. Songs Of Surrender – a collection of 40 seminal U2 songs from across the band's catalogue, re-recorded and reimagined for 2023 in sessions spanning the last two years – was released on Friday March 17th 2023, topping the album charts around the world including the UK and Ireland.
On 29th September last year, U2 lit up Las Vegas and once again pushed the boundaries of live performance as they kicked off their groundbreaking 'U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere' shows launching the world's most state-of-the-art venue, Sphere. U2:UV marked the band's latest ambitious creative project and will saw them work once again with longtime U2 creative collaborator and show director Willie Williams, as well as artists including Es Devlin, John Gerrard and Marco Brambilla. The critically-acclaimed, history-making and future-defining show played to over 700,000 fans from 100+ countries across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024.
About Sphere
Sphere is a next-generation entertainment medium that is redefining the future of live entertainment. A venue where the foremost artists, creators, and technologists create extraordinary experiences that take storytelling to a new level and transport audiences to places both real and imagined. The venue hosts original Sphere Experiences; concerts and residencies from the world's biggest artists; and premier marquee and corporate events. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023, and is a new Las Vegas landmark, powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and enable audiences to share experiences at a never-before-seen scale. More information is available at thesphere.com.
For U2 (US): Kristen Foster / Kristen.Foster@fullcov.com
For U2 (UK/Ireland/ROW): Brídín Murphy Mitchell / bridin@rmplondon.co.uk and Régine Moylett / regine@rmplondon.co.uk
For Sphere: Mikyl Cordova / mikyl.cordova@msg.com; spherepr@thesphere.com
SOURCE Sphere Entertainment Co.
