Sphere Entertainment Co has launched a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience to be shown exclusively at Sphere. V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas, directed by Morleigh Steinberg and The Edge, showcases the history-making and future-defining U2:UV show directed by Willie Williams that played to over 700,000 fans from 100+ countries across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024. V-U2 is the first film ever to be shot entirely with Big Sky, the groundbreaking ultra-high-resolution camera system developed by Sphere Entertainment. V-U2 does not just capture U2’s epic run at Sphere, it allows audiences to feel like they are at the live shows.
Having opened on September 5th, V-U2 immortalises the acclaimed ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere’ show directed by Willie Williams. The film of the show was directed by The Edge and Morleigh Steinberg and was produced by The Edge, Bono and Adam Clayton, along with producer Alan Moloney, in a unique collaboration with Sphere Entertainment.
V-U2 is a Sphere Experience, Sphere’s signature original content category. To create this larger-than-life concert film, a number of Big Sky cameras captured the band at “extraordinary scale, sharpness, and clarity”. V-U2 employs Sphere’s immersive technologies including the 160,000 sq. ft. display plane, which at 16k x 16k resolution is the world’s highest- resolution LED screen; Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, which provides crystal-clear sound to every seat in Sphere; and haptic seats, which use vibrations so guests can ‘feel’ the experience. All of these technologies, which were used to great effect in ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere,’ will be leveraged in this Sphere Experience in new and different ways to reinforce the feeling of ‘being there’.
Launching a venue like Sphere challenged the band to create a once-in-a-lifetime audio/visual concert experience and the same standards were upheld for the film. Co-directors The Edge and Morleigh Steinberg spoke about the filmmaking process:
“The goal was to give the immersive movie goers as close to the live U2:UV concert experience as possible – and then some. I’ve never seen a U2 show. I’m so relieved I caught a great one,” said The Edge.
“We knew all the tremendous capabilities of the technology, but we didn’t know what to expect from the process of making this film,” said Morleigh Steinberg. “The work became a true collaboration between band, artists, producers, and technology teams. The end result is a cinematic experience that transports viewers into the energy and beauty of the live show.”
A global news event which saw the world’s biggest rock band open the world’s most state-of-the-art venue, ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere’ quickly became a pop culture moment and a must-see for music lovers everywhere. The show’s stunning visuals and live music performance, combined with the venue’s immersive technology elements, including the world’s most advanced audio system, became an instant social media sensation as hundreds of thousands of fans shared their U2:UV experience across multiple platforms generating billions of impressions, making U2:UV a truly global phenomenon. One of the band’s most ambitious creative projects to date, it saw them work once again with longtime creative collaborator and show director Willie Williams, artists including Es Devlin, John Gerrard and Marco Brambilla, and longtime partner and producer Brian Eno.
V-U2 is open now. Click here for further details.
