The Sphere, a staggering 111-metre-tall orb situated in the heart of Las Vegas, was turned on for the first time on Tuesday night, demonstrating the power of 1.2 million lit-up LEDs to thousands of Nevada residents.

During its first display on Tuesday night for the Fourth of July, animations showing fireworks, the American flag, the Moon, and even a giant blinking eyeball emanated from the 580,000-square-foot panel.

The dome's design is tailored towards live performances and the arts , other than a standard arena built for sporting occasions. Las Vegas is known for some out-there landmarks, but this latest installation is more than just a spherical screen. On the inside, it’s a circular theater that houses 18,000 seats, along with a wraparound LED screen. The structure cost Sphere Entertainment over $2 billion to build.

the $2.3B sphere in Las Vegas is insane 😳pic.twitter.com/YWNNUW1iGz

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 5, 2023

The Sphere hasn’t officially opened yet, but it will continue to light up on the outside, with U2 kicking things off with the very first show in the venue this September.

Bono explained in a recent guided tour to New Zealand radio DJ Zane Lowe that “there are no speakers. The entire building is a speaker. So wherever you are, you have perfect sound is the plan”.

U2 bandmate the Edge added that “there’s nothing else like it in the world and won’t be for many, many years.” The dome's first residency will be for the Irish icons U2, which is set to take place throughout September and October.

A similar structure is planned to be built in East London, though it has not yet received planning approval. The dome is facing heavy opposition from locals who are concerned with the dome's size, shape and illuminated exterior.

The debut of SPHERE at The Venetian in Las Vegas. https://t.co/uT8OulRyKb pic.twitter.com/KoWKudXJoW

— Geoff Pilkington (@geoffpilkington) July 5, 2023