The Las Vegas Sphere is a stunning new venue that opened in September 2023 and has quickly become very popular in the entertainment world. Imagine entering a place where the ceiling changes into a beautiful starry night, and you are not just watching a show; you are part of an amazing experience. This is what happened to Danielle Renee, a mortgage loan officer from Washington State, when she went to a Backstreet Boys concert there. "Oh my gosh, it was incredible," she said, her eyes shining with excitement. "I don’t know how another show could beat it."
For someone who has loved the Backstreet Boys for many years, this was not just any concert. The Sphere has a huge concave screen that is 15,000 square meters in size, surrounding the audience with stunning visuals. Danielle, who has seen the band perform many times, mentioned that "nothing compares" to this experience. "Everyone was dancing, everyone was singing along," she remembered, clearly still excited from the event.
However, the Las Vegas Sphere is not the only one of its kind. It is part of a growing trend of dome-shaped entertainment venues that aim to provide a more immersive experience. For example, Cosm is a company that is building dome-like facilities in several cities across the U.S. where people can watch live sports or movies like The Matrix, enhanced by visual effects that wrap around the screen. Supporters of this trend believe it represents the future of entertainment—more immersive and experiential. However, we have heard similar claims before, especially with the rise and fall of 3D cinema, which has had difficulty staying popular. The real challenge is proving that these visually impressive domes can offer something truly transformative.
Let’s talk about the costs involved. The Las Vegas Sphere was a massive investment, costing about $2.72 billion to build. Since it opened, it has hosted various shows, including a new version of The Wizard of Oz and a residency with the famous band U2. Ticket prices usually start at around $100, and they can go much higher depending on the event. At first, critics questioned whether such a venue could make money. Was it a groundbreaking new form of entertainment, or just a risky gamble?
By early 2025, the Sphere’s financial situation was still being examined. Observers noted that it struggled to make a profit, with one critic expressing confusion and disappointment after attending a show. However, as more performances were added to the schedule, the Sphere began to see some financial success. In February of that year, Sphere Entertainment announced a net income of $57.6 million for the 2025 calendar year. This was a remarkable turnaround, but the company did not provide more details about its financial plans.
Interestingly, not everyone believes that dome-shaped venues are the future of entertainment. Manel González-Piñero, a researcher in creativity and innovation at the University of Barcelona, attended The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere and shared his thoughts. "For me, watching a movie is enough of an experience," he said, stressing that he does not feel the need for extra enhancements. However, he did recognize that the Sphere serves as a "prototype" for delivering content in a unique way. Last year, Sphere Entertainment even announced plans to create smaller versions of the Sphere, with a capacity of 5,000 seats in different locations. Yet, González-Piñero expressed doubt about whether such venues would be suitable for cities like Milan or Amsterdam, suggesting that the Sphere might be more of a unique attraction designed specifically for Las Vegas.
On the other hand, Ben Wood, the chief analyst at FDM/CCS Insight, found the Sphere to be "jaw-dropping" during his visit. He was disappointed to see opposition to a sister Sphere proposed for East London, which was ultimately rejected after Mayor Sadiq Khan denied planning permission. Wood believes that venues with large concave screens create an experience similar to augmented reality, allowing audiences to feel as if they are wearing a virtual reality headset. "It’s an amazing, futuristic metaphor for the way people consume content," he noted. Still, he understands why some people might be put off by the sheer extravagance of it all.
The Sphere’s exterior is just as impressive, featuring a giant screen that shows animations and various content, sometimes even a huge winking eye. "This thing’s winking at you," Wood remarked, capturing the surreal nature of the experience.
Let’s not forget about Cosm, which came from a merger involving Evans & Sutherland, a company known for its digital projection technology used in planetariums and science centers. Cosm is using its expertise to deliver live sports and visually enhanced movie presentations on LED screens, which have mostly replaced traditional projectors. "We are very much a software company," said Devin Poolman, Cosm’s chief product and technology officer. He added that their unique LED designs meet the needs of doubly curved, effectively domed displays. With venues already established in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta, Cosm has ambitious plans to expand to over 100 locations worldwide, although Poolman remained tight-lipped about the profitability of these venues.
It’s important to note that the idea of dome-shaped entertainment venues is not new. Cinerama built dome cinemas in the U.S. in the 1960s, followed by IMAX theaters in later years. James Lanier, founder of Absolute Hollywood, has been setting up temporary and semi-permanent inflatable domes for internally projected shows since the late 1990s. He points out that unlike the Las Vegas Sphere, which keeps visitors in their seats, his installations allow guests to move around freely or even lie down and look up at the presentation. He fondly remembers a surreal experience at a royal wedding in the Middle East, where performances were shown in a central dome for guests to enjoy.
So, what does all this mean for the future of entertainment? While dome-based venues like the Las Vegas Sphere and Cosm’s facilities have the potential to attract audiences, it is clear that not everyone agrees with this idea. Danielle Renee, however, is already planning her next visit to see the Backstreet Boys perform again at the Sphere. "I actually just got an email this morning about their final shows of the summer," she shared, excitement bubbling over as she thought about how to get there again.
In the end, whether dome-shaped venues will change the entertainment industry remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: they are definitely making an impact in the industry, and audiences are eager to see what happens next.
