12 Artists Who Should Play the Las Vegas Sphere

When the MSG Sphere opened in Las Vegas, it offered more than just a dazzling light show for dazed tourists. It promised to reinvent the very idea of what a live music experience could achieve.

The multibillion-dollar venue boasts a number of superlatives. At 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide, it’s the largest spherical structure in the world and sports the largest programmable LED screen ever made. “The exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard – it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,” said Guy Barnett, senior vice president for brand strategy and creative development at Sphere Entertainment.

Such a spectacular venue calls for boundary-pushing performers who can command up to 20,000 audience members at a time. U2 recently christened the Sphere with their Achtung Baby Live residency, taking full advantage of its immersive video display during a powerful, emotional and occasionally disorienting performance. Vertically looping visuals simulated the feeling of being on a giant Ferris wheel during “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” while a panoramic time-lapse image of a desert during “Where the Streets Have No Name” made it difficult to believe that, yes, all of this was really taking place indoors.

READ MORE: U2’s 5 Most Dazzling Moments From Sphere Opening Night

U2’s Sphere residency will run at least through February 2024, and if their show continues to garner rave reviews, they could very well extend their stay again. But fans and music industry commentators are already speculating as to who should perform at the world-class venue next.

Whoever takes up the mantle will have big shoes to fill. Here are 12 artists who should play the Las Vegas Sphere.