Want a venue that is out of this world?
Las Vegas’ Sphere can take you there, and then to a few other galaxies along the way.
Aside from being the newest piece of eye candy in the already fantastical Las Vegas skyline — pyramids, castles and ferris wheels, oh my! — the recently constructed orb is both a concert venue and an interactive exhibit that is a worth addition to any Sin City getaway itinerary.
As casual fans may know, The Sphere is currently the home of U2’s months-long residency and will be hosting four back-to-back Phish concerts in April. However, that’s not all the venue has to offer.
In addition to the aforementioned shows, Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth” can also be seen at The Sphere.
On a recent visit to Las Vegas, we took in a visually sumptuous two-hour experience that included a self-guided tour through the atrium followed by Aronofsky’s film inside the dome.
Here are our thoughts on the film.
“Postcard From Earth” review
The story of ‘Postcard from Earth’ follows two astronauts of sorts, who we later learn are leaving a depleted Earth to colonize a new planet. What follows is the story of creation, from early aquatic life all the way to the invention of religion and industry along with a few eye-popping shots of modern day life in populous cities like New York and Bangkok thrown in for good measure.
“This is the first natural history kind of film or experience, whatever you want to call it, shot on all seven continents,” Aronofsky told the Post ahead of opening night. “We have shots from the Antarctic, from Australia, all over, all over the planet and in a resolution that no one’s ever seen before — I’m told it will be the first time people see HD images on the scale that it is.”
The story itself we know all too well — climate change, construction and destruction — but zoomed, out both literally and metaphorically, so we can fully see the effects of our existence.
So what’s the answer that the film presents to its captivated audience? Do we abandon ship and ‘turn off the lights’, as the disembodied voice suggests to the astronauts, and head to a new planet to either make a new, better ecosystem or have a shot to mess it up again? The film seems to argue that we will have to leave Earth to allow her to repair itself, but for how long, it leaves up in the air, zooming out one final time to show a ringed Saturn-like planet that looks like Earth, floating on the larger-than-life screen.
And while the film is spectacular and offers quite a bit of food for thought, the visuals are the real draw here.
Think IMAX, to the nth degree. Audience members are seated in the circular auditorium and come face to face with shockingly lifelike images and videos, chairs vibrate with each onscreen explosion and wind is pumped into the room as rockets take off or storms brew.
That being said, the film mixes in a few jump-scares to keep you in the moment, not that your attention could possibly drift elsewhere.
As expected, Aronofsky used groundbreaking technology to complete the film.
“We had to use all new types of cameras,” the “Black Swan” director explained. “You can’t really see these images on a flat screen so I spent a lot of time with a headset on looking around. There were just so many different types of challenges and complexities that it’s almost like I was working at a tech start up in a way.”
Sphere tickets
Whether you want to catch a U2 or Phish show or see “Postcard From Earth” in all its glory, tickets are available for all upcoming events at the game-changing venue.
While Sphere concerts already have a reputation for being notoriously expensive, we’re happy to report that Aronofsky’s film has some tickets going for as low as $51 before fees on Vivid Seats.
To find the show that makes the most sense for your schedule — and wallet — check out the MSG Sphere’s complete calendar here.
All prices listed above were found at the time of publication and are subject to fluctuation.
Huge Las Vegas concerts in 2024
Prefer something a bit more conventional?
Many major acts are bringing their hits to more traditional Vegas venues next year.
Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to sleep on in while you’re sauntering in and around the Strip.
• Adele
Not in Vegas? Check out our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2024 here to find out who may be coming to a venue near you.