“ The change in technology is really a symptom of the trend , which is to deliver a bigger , better guest
experience .”
FROM SHOWROOM TO SPHERE : How Tech Is Taking Over Entertainment
The new MSG Sphere opens this month in Las Vegas . First on the bill : Irish rockers U2
Technology is revolutionizing the concert experience — it ’ s also opening the door to more sales
By Marjorie Preston
In 1965 , Beatles fans paid $ 5.10 to see the Fab Four at Shea Stadium
On a hot August night in 1965 , the world ’ s first mega-concert event took place at New York ’ s Shea Stadium . At the height of Beatlemania , 56,000 kids crammed into what Rolling Stone called an “ orangeand-blue ass-pit of a venue ” to hear John , Paul , George and Ringo . Except they couldn ’ t — hear them , that is . The stadium , which had opened a year earlier as part of the 1964 World ’ s Fair , was state-of-the-art for the time . Even so , the PA system used to call Mets games was no match for hordes of shrieking fans . The band members themselves couldn ’ t hear their set , and to people in the nosebleed seats , the Fab Four probably looked like Beatles bobbleheads — tiny figurines on a platform a mile away .
That was then . This month , when U2 takes the stage at the new MSG Sphere in Las Vegas , the music will be pumped through 164,000 speakers choreographed to images on massive ultra-high-definition screens . Bono & Co . can add to the excitement with an atmospheric system capable of changing the room temperature , emitting scents and even mimicking wind . Topping it off , 10,000 “ infrasound ” haptic seats will let fans feel as well as hear the music .
With a total capacity of 20,000 , the Sphere is bringing unprecedented spectacle to the concert arena . While other venues may not rush to follow suit — the dome-shaped , 36-story structure and its U . K . cousin each cost billions — technology has fundamentally changed how people consume entertainment , and what they expect for the price of admission .
“ Competition has increased , ticket prices have gone way up and guest attitudes have changed ,” says veteran Las Vegas entertainment producer-manager Clint Billups . “ The change in technology is really a symptom of the trend , which is to deliver a bigger , better guest experience .”
Bigger and better also means pricier . In 1965 , fans paid $ 5.10 to see , if not hear , the Beatles ( five bucks plus tax , the equivalent of about $ 55 today ). This year , parents who send their kids to see Taylor Swift in con-
“ The change in technology is really a symptom of the trend , which is to deliver a bigger , better guest
experience .”
— Clint Billups , Las Vegas Personal Manager and Producer
10 P3 PROGRESSIVE PRODUCTS PREVIEW 2023