On July 4th, 2023 the massive video screen on the exterior sphere of the MSG Las Vegas Sphere (or see the sphere’s Wikipedia page) was activated for the first time.
Here’s some essential info from Wikipedia:
Upon its completion, the Sphere will be 366 feet (112 m) high and 516 feet (157 m) wide at its broadest point.[24] It will be the largest spherical building in the world at 875,000 sq ft (81,300 m2).[26] It will include seating for 18,600 people,[62][58] and all seats will have high speed internet access.[63] Haptic technology is incorporated in 10,000 of the venue’s seats.[62] Seating does not wrap around the entire sphere, instead covering approximately two-thirds of the interior while the stage takes up the remainder.[64] The venue can accommodate 20,000 people in standing capacity.[37] The sphere has nine levels, including the basement, where a VIP club will be located. A total of 23 suites will be included, across the third and fifth floors.[52]
The Sphere’s interior will be equipped with a 16K resolution wraparound LED screen, measuring 160,000 sq ft (15,000 m2).[65][62] It will be the largest and highest-resolution LED screen in the world.[45] The exterior of the venue will feature 580,000 sq ft (54,000 m2) of programmable lighting,[10][66] which can be modified based on holidays, for example to depict the sphere as a Halloween pumpkin or a Christmas snow globe.[4] The sphere will feature 164,000 speakers,[67][68] and the sound system will deliver sound through the floorboards.[66] 4D features, including scent and wind, will also be used.[4]
The arena will primarily host awards shows and concerts, in addition to other entertainment events.[69] Although it was not designed to host sporting events, there is the possibility of hosting matches for boxing and mixed martial arts,[70][64] as well as esports tournaments.[52]
And rumored to be manufactured by Saco.
Here’s a few pictures from various sources of the outer shell under construction, for a better sense of its scale and engineering. The “pixels” are actually HUGE – they look like individually heatsinked LED spot lights up close.
Some pictures from the 4th:
Check out this wild science page they put together – helpful for all the future sphere designers/engineers that are out there! I made a PDF of it for posterity:
This content was originally published here.