Las Vegas Strip Sphere signs huge rock band for longer residency
Sphere Entertainment's (SPHR) Sphere Las Vegas, which debuted on Sept. 29, 2023, with superstar rock band U2's Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere residency, has become the most spectacular venue for performances in Vegas.
The Sphere's shows are presented using next-generation technologies, including the world's highest resolution LED display that wraps up, over and around the audience creating a fully immersive visual environment.
The venue, which cost about $2.3 billion to complete, also features the world's most advanced concert-grade sound system, Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by Holoplot that delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision, according to a statement.
U2 inaugurated the Sphere with 40 shows over five months on its residency before closing the engagement on March 2. Popular jam band Phish followed U2 for a quick mini-residency with four shows April 18, 19, 20 and 21.
Following Phish was the ultimate jam band Dead & Company, which has stretched its original 24 shows to 30 concerts that conclude Aug. 10 at the Sphere.
Don Henley of the Eagles performs on stage at Murrayfield on June 22, 2022 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns) Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images
The Eagles add four more shows to residency
Iconic rock and roll band The Eagles have added four more shows to their Eagles Live at Sphere residency with new shows scheduled for two weekends Dec. 6-7 and Dec. 13-14. The four shows, added due to overwhelming demand, increase the residency's total shows to 16, or double the original size of the residency.
Presale registration for the additional four shows is currently underway at Eagles.com with Artist, Official Platinum and VIP Package presales beginning July 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Live Nation, SiriusXM and NFR presales begin July 11, 10 a.m. Pacific. Tickets go on sale to the general public July 12 at 10 a.m. Pacific.
The Eagles and the Sphere on June 13 unveiled the original eight-show residency with four weekend dates starting Sept. 20 and another four weekend dates beginning Oct. 11. Presales began June 18 for those shows with general public sale beginning June 21.
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The Sphere and The Eagles on June 18 added four more weekend shows Nov. 1, 2, 8 and 9 to the original eight scheduled residency shows. All travel packages for the first 12 shows at the Sphere are sold out, according to The Eagles' website.
The 16 shows on the Sphere residency are the only shows that the band has scheduled for the remainder of 2024 and the band's schedule for 2025 is a mystery at this time. The band could add more shows to the Sphere residency, like U2 and Dead & Company did. Or, The Eagles could book an engagement at a casino, resort or venue outside the Vegas area.
The band, however, has said that it retired from touring with the final show on its 'Long Goodbye" tour that wrapped up June 15 in the Netherlands. Fans can still wonder if it truly was the final tour of The Eagles, as many recall the band promoted its "Farewell 1 Tour" in 2003, but continued touring for another 21 years.
The Eagles late founding member Glenn Frey, who died in 2016 once hinted at a 2005 concert in Sacramento that the band may never retire from touring as he proclaimed, "If you're payin', we're playin'." Of course, the band kept touring after Frey passed.
The current lineup of The Eagles includes Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, country and bluegrass star Vince Gill and band founder Glenn Frey's son Deacon Frey.