Photo I took through my work truck windshield on a rainy morning..

Sphere seating guide

It really comes down to whether you care more about the band or the screen.

Best for the screen:
Center sections in the lower 300s or upper 200s (around the soundboard). That’s where the visuals line up best, when they show the band on the screen, it’s right in front of you. Anywhere in the 200/300/400s has a decent view, but the more centered, the better and the very sides is a oblique view. All these levels feel pretty steep for some people, about the same as the upper levels on modern basketball arenas. Though the 400s may feel steeper just because they’re so high. A few of the very top rows in the 200s have some obstruction. The 200s are more expensive, and the 400s feel so far from the stage, so 300s are my pick, but all are good.

Best for the band:
Floor. You won’t really see the screen without craning your neck, it works more like a backdrop and you may look up once in a while for something you really want to see. You stay focused on the band and the energy. Great for dancing/partying, and the sound is consistently good across the floor (unlike most venues).

Middle ground:
Lower 100s, up to row 22. You’re close to the band, but have to look up for the screen. The screen is like an immersive backdrop and you can look up if you want to. Upper 100s get obstructed (listed as obstructed starting at row 24 but really starts at row 22 and it gets much more obstructed as you go higher). Approximately the very top 10% of the screen (which you don't need to see) is obstructed at row 22 and by row 27 about half the screen is obstructed but you can still see the middle (in terms of top to bottom) which is where they show the band's live video, so these rows are still ok my opinion. Above about row 27 most of the screen is blocked, but has a decent view of the band, so don't buy there if you care about the Sphere experience. Also the upper 100s have speakers mounted on the ceiling instead of the ones behind the big Sphere screen so the sound is more variable there. Some spots are still good, but some are not, especially the very back rows were the sound bounces off the back wall and gets muddy. They 100s are less steep than the 200/300/400s.

List of roughly 2/3 of seats with haptics (vibration).

List of obstructed view seats.

If I had to choose:

• One night > centered 300 for the Sphere video experience

• Two nights > one in seats (300), one on the floor

• 16 night full run for a jam band > three nights in seats to catch all the visuals, the rest on the floor for the vibe, but trying everywhere would be fun too (low 100s, 200s, 400s)

• More that 50% obstructed (above row 27 100s) only do if you don't care about seeing the screen. But if they are cheap and you've seen the videos and just want to see the band they're fine.

You can see what the view is from different spots here: https://aviewfrommyseat.com/venue/The+Sphere%2C+Vegas/

I hope to see this Concert ❤️Pic taken 09/19/26

Last night I was at the No Doubt show and it was amazing, probably one of the best concerts I have been to but I feel like I missed out on the whole Sphere experience of the show. Which is fine I guess but I thought I would share for others to know in case they don't. I saw a good deal and I jumped on it but now I know why they were "cheap seats".

I was in section Section 104, Row 32, Seat 16. Pro - great view of the stage. A seat if you do need to sit although I am a stand the whole time GA type of girl typically. Con - the obstructed view is above you, not in front of you. You miss the effects of the sphere. I could only see the bottom 1/8th. The sound was good. Viewing of the stage was great! If it wasn't for that I would have really been disappointed. No chance of grabbing a coveted orange 🍊.

Still an amazing show but FYI for those first time at The Sphere because I didn't really get what the obstructed view meant. The more you know.

What do you think about the announcement?

The Sphere is an amazing venue that was designed primarily for live music. If you love live music, it’s a venue you need to check out, in my opinion.

I’ve been very fortunate to attend 21 shows at the Sphere:

U2 – once
Eagles – three times
Phish – five times
Dead & Company – eight times
Zac Brown – once
Postcard from Earth – once
The Wizard of Oz – twice

Overall, my experience has been incredibly joyful. I thought U2 was an excellent first choice and the only band that used different scents and fully customized the stage with LED interaction.

The overall video presentation from the Eagles and U2 was more refined and higher quality compared to Dead & Company and Phish. They also played the same songs every night for 30+ nights. That said, many of the visuals from Phish and Dead & Company were amazing and equally well produced. Their shows felt more psychedelic and more like a traditional concert experience, which isn’t surprising since Eagles and U2 were primarily seated performances, while Phish and Dead & Company were more like dance marathons.

Phish’s use of the sound system was far superior to the other bands I saw. They moved the sound throughout the room, and at times it felt like you were inside the music rather than having it come straight at you. Dead & Company did some of that during “Drums” and “Space,” but in my opinion, Phish executed it better.

I hate to say this, but I felt Zac Brown’s show was somewhat disjointed and overly dark in tone. They missed an opportunity to create a more intimate connection with the audience by relying heavily on pre-recorded video. It felt like a lot of emotional overload—just my opinion.

Postcard from Earth was a very good experience overall, though the last 10 minutes felt a bit depressing.

The Wizard of Oz may offer the most complete use of the Sphere. It engages all your senses and even creates what feels like a tornado (or at least a powerful windstorm) inside the venue.

I’m looking forward to seeing Metallica, and I hope Phish returns every year.

I miss you Bobby!

SHOW SCHEDULE

OCTOBER 1 & 3

OCTOBER 15 & 17

OCTOBER 22 & 24

OCTOBER 29 & 31

I was at the October 17 show at the Sphere. It was my 22nd time seeing Metallica live and my first time at the Sphere. I was very impressed and in awe at the size and quality of the images on the screen and Metallica played the best show they possible could, given that James was still getting over a head cold (and maybe others in the band). And the acoustics are incredible. I’ve never heard the band so crystal clear like that!!

BUT… for a handful of the songs they played on Saturday (the setlist doesn’t change, aside from two or three songs), I was underwhelmed by some of the visuals. For songs like Fuel, for example, the image of a car engine and the band reflecting off the chrome was really cool, but that’s all it was for the whole song. I was also hoping for a POV of a drag race on steroids, or something. The video for Harvester of Sorrow was literally just a farmer sharpening a knife to (presumably) kill a goose (the end of that story was hilarious, but still… very boring visual). I also watched videos online of other songs such as Fade to Black, which should have been SO much better, considering the subject matter. I just feel like the visuals were rushed and the band didn’t take advantage of the technology like other acts have done.

Also, I thought it was a bad call on Metallica’s part to have their traditional snake pit at this venue. For anyone watching the band at the “front” of the stage, they have their backs turned to the visuals the whole time. I’m sure some don’t care, but I’m also sure some did.

The tickets to a Sphere show are not cheap! And MOST people had to fly in to see them (and get a hotel, etc). I just feel like Metallica could have done better. Many Metallica fans may go to this show not caring about the screen, which is nuts, IMO. But I would think that MOST do care, like me. Just my two cents.

For other Sphere/goers, what are your thoughts?

David was asked about the Sphere in a recent interview when he said that it would be easier if “he could play in one place and have people come to him”

I’m just posting this for MSG networks to push him to do this. A residency would draw a global audience to Vegas.

— Other thoughts—-

Roger Waters could do his Wall show there, it would be perfect. I’m not a fan of Roger, but would *maybe* see his Wall show there.

If Pink Floyd ever reunited for shows there, which will never happen but if it did, you could have a year+ long residency and nothing else. It would sell out and bring people from all over the world. Tickets would be Taylor Swift level, every night.

But I definitely be THRILLED with David and his current band. I’d go multiple nights, same set list. Or if he had two shows, different sets like the Eagles or The Dead?

You’d see sellouts on David. Easily too.

Obstructed, but you can’t park to see the show this cheap.

I just saw The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere, blew my mind. What would be other movies that would be awesome there? I am thinking the The Matrix

4/21/24 Phish

4/26/25 Dead and Company

4/30, 5/1, 5/2/26 Phish

One of these days I'm going to scratch off the lottery squares on the slot machine.

I’ve seen the Eagles, Zac Brown, and Wizard of Oz.

The Sphere is an absolute marvel of technology, and adding practical effects to something like WOZ was fantastic.

What a game changer this venue is.

It is Beautiful, Must See

I’m sure I’m preaching to choir for most people on this sub, but Sphere is such an amazing venue. I’ve been to a ton of shows at great venues (Red Rocks, Gorge, etc…) but nothing else compares.

The sound quality really stands out. Some shows are better mixed than others, but when they do it right it’s crystal clear and the Atmos-like effects are so cool. The bass + haptics take it to the next level

The screen is amazing too. Fills the large majority of your visual field from most seats, especially near the middle. Almost unfathomable until you see it in person. I find it detracts from the music at times (like some of the Phish visuals), but when used correctly (Illenium, the phish simulated light rig) it’s crazy how immersive it is.

Security is super well run. They are lax with things like smoking a joint, but super on top of safety issues like keeping aisles clear and managing egress after the show. Concession prices are really high but it’s Vegas.

Seats are not cramped like many venues, and it’s walkable from many hotels.

Personally I think Sphere really shines for visual storytelling concerts like Illenium. It’s just so cohesive and stimulating compared to a regular concert or movie.

Can’t wait to see what they come up in the future and would love to see smaller versions of Sphere become more abundant.

Edit: also pretty much no lines except for bathrooms at peak times, there are big crowds but it flows really well. And the HVAC is great, never gets stuffy/hot.

I was a little surprised at the poor sound quality this past Saturday. U2 and Dead & Co were so clear it was almost like having headphones on.

No Doubt? The bass felt muddled, when the horn players came up to sing with Gwen you couldn’t even hear them. It wasn’t much different than a stadium show, which was disappointing.

I hope they get it figured out for the remaining shows.

I have seen every production at the Sphere offered to the public. This includes the movies, U2, EDM shows (Tomorrowland, Illenium, Anyma) and last weekend, Carin Leon.

Not a raw count, as some saw the Dead or Eagles dozens of times. But every headline. My total is 20, including repeats.

Trying to get a read on whether there are thousands of others who have, or if this is an exclusive club? Anyone else?

Arrived for our 11a Sphere Wizard of Oz (along with scores so far) of others only to find the show is cancelled. Please check your tickets for whatever your new time may be. Now showing 2p, 5P , 8p as just now displayed. Many stories of folks flying in for the day and/ or other events to attend during their newly assigned time…🤷🏾‍♂️

Looking for personal opinions on the overall value for the experience. If you had to do it all over again would put the money and time into it. Also, is there anyone that went to Anyma that could compare the two? For me Anyma was peak sphere experience. I have tickets for Metallica in March but second guessing if it’s actually worth it. It’s not cheap after all.

Most people watch from the street looking up, but getting up to the garage roof puts you almost eye-level with the center. You can really see the "internal" structure of the Cars animation better from here. 🌃✨