I decided to be spontaneous and fly to Las Vegas to see U2 at The Sphere as I had a bit of YOLO the night before Valentine’s Day. The U2: UV Achtung Baby concert was set to end in two weeks and I wanted to experience it even if that meant going to the concert solo. I’ve seen U2 a few times over the years with friends but this was my first time seeing them solo. This post is meant to give you a look inside with a Sphere Concert Guide based on my experience. I’m also sharing how I found savings and maximized my miles/points earning potential on my concert ticket purchase. And if you are a U2 fan, I’ve included two videos from my seat in Section 308 along with a link to Youtube to watch the entire concert from an attendee sitting in section 400’s. Each gives you insight into the views, sound and visuals.
Table of Contents
How to Save Money on Concert Tickets at The Sphere
If I’m going to pay ridiculous ticket and ticketing fees (30%+) for concerts, I might as well do my best to optimize my purchase. Since the Sphere Las Vegas is a Ticketmaster partner, you will need to download the Ticketmaster app in order “to take delivery” of your ticket no which online ticket vendor you use to buy your tickets. They then suggest you download your ticket to your phone’s wallet to make it easy for entry (note you can’t use a screenshot for entry). I stalked ticket sites and pricing from Tuesday when I booked the airfare until Friday when my flight left. I booked my U2 ticket Friday morning for the Sunday performance using all the tricks I had up my sleeve to save money – For me this meant, I had extra steps to do before hitting “buy”. Here’s what I did to save money on Las Vegas concert tickets at the Sphere. Note you can also do the same with any tickets you are buying via the major ticket vendors. Don’t leave airline miles or rebates behind when you buy tickets to events during your travels near and far.
- Compare prices inclusive of fees (manual filter to add “include fees” on website or app) at Ticketmaster, Stubhub and Seat Geek or other ticket reseller to find best options for your budget.
- Check credit card to see what monthly rebates are on offer (often many hotels and travel vendors) and add to your credit card to activate. You then only need to pay with that registered card, no links or special sites are needed. My Chase credit card offered a 5% rebate at Seat Geek and was limited to a one time use with a max reimbursement amount, so I added the offer to my credit card with a quick click. The credit appeared on my statement a few days later.
- Search online for discount codes to use at the ticket site – I found an affiliate discount code ($10 off) reading a Rolling Stone post.
- Check to see if any of the ticket vendors are affiliated with your favorite airline shopping mall – search to see which ticket company participated in offering base (1x) or bonus miles per dollar spent. Seat Geek was an option in the American Airlines (AA mall) so I logged into my AA Shopping account and clicked the Seat Geek link to take me to the site (must click through the AA mall for credit).
For my U2 ticket – I logged into AA shopping to earn AA miles, clicked through to Seat Geek and entered the Rolling Stone discount code for $10 off, entered my Chase credit card for the 5% rebate and earned my Chase points. I earned double miles (American Airlines miles via shopping and Chase points using my credit card) and a double discount savings ($10 + 5% rebate).
Sphere Bridge Entry from the Venetian Hotel
You can enter the Sphere Las Vegas two ways
- Outside by walking along Sands Avenue
- Inside Bridge Access via the Venetian Hotel
You’ll see signs above when you enter the Venetian Hotel to follow to the Sphere. Be prepared to walk and follow the crowds. There are multiple Venetian staff members holding signs to the Sphere so you can’t get lost as you walk through the conference center hallways and meeting rooms.
No worries if you feel thirsty along the way as there’s a bar inside the hotel to buy a drink for the next phase of the walk as you leave the hotel and walk on the corridor/connector bridge to the security lines and entrance to the Sphere.
The corridor will split into two areas for entry – VIP and floor seating on the left and regular line on the right.
Photo Tip: the door on the left may be open to the outdoor stairs and folks will outside on the top landing to take photos of the Sphere at night. If you choose to do this, security may not let you back inside as I received a bit of grief when I tried to come back in. Security will escort you outside to the Sphere so you might want to wait until the show is over to take the Sphere photos from this vantage point which is also accessible from outside the venue.
As expected, there were few folks walking on the left VIP line so the right side started to fill up quickly as we approached the security checks.
Tip – you’ll see the Sphere concierge desk on the right (a long white desk) that is roped off during the concert flow. During the day this is where you can buy walk up tickets to the Sphere Experience. At night stand along the concierge desk on the right as the flow of people goes into many lines quicker than the left side lines.
To be honest, it was all very civilized. Everyone was excited to see U2 so didn’t mind the short wait. You’ll walk through security gate and then if you have a small purse or bag (stadium limits apply) that will be hand checked at the next check point. Once past these two security stage gates, you can show your ticket to be scanned for entry into The Sphere Las Vegas. You’ll then be inside the Sphere lobby.
Sphere Lobby Space
Watch your step as folks tend to enter, stop and look up inside the Sphere to see the height and décor. The room is lit in a bluish hue. The main floor lobby space has multiple venues to buy food and drink. You’ll need to make your way to the escalators to go up to the seating in suites, 200’s, 300’s and 400’s.
Tip: If afraid of heights, use the elevator as the escalators are steep going up and it can be scary looking up and down.
If your seats are in the Terrace Level (300’s or 400’s) which is most of us not paying a small mortgage for tickets, you will ride another escalator even further up in the Sphere. Again, if afraid of heights, look for the elevator.
Once arriving on the Terrace level, you’ll see multiple venues for food, drink and merchandise. There’s also a self-service area for you to find your drinks in the refrigerated cases and snacks in the baskets. At the end of the hall on the right is a lovely bar area.
If your seats are at the very top in the 400’s, there’s yet another escalator to take up but for the most part this level serves sections in the 300’s (you’ll walk down to your row/seat) and most of section 400’s (you will walk up to your seat).
Sphere Self Service Drinks & Snacks
The self-service area was empty when I visited so it was easy to find a can of water for $7 (they like to say its in a reusable souvenir aluminum bottle). You can bring your own water bottle to fill if you want but I didn’t see many with their own bottles. Beer, wine and cocktails are served at a variety of locations – the 300-level had a bar area while beer in cans were easily to procure in the self-service areas. The price was much higher inside the Sphere ($18-19) than at the Venetian Bar ($12.50). Snacks were $5 and cheaper than the Venetian Bar.
What’s the seat like at the Sphere Las Vegas
Walking down to the seat in section 308 row 11 was steep so make sure to hold the railings as needed. Be prepared for a moment or two of feeling dizzy while you orient yourself.
Tip: Leave the cute shoes and high heels back in the hotel room as its about comfort. There’s a lot of walking to and from the venue as well as navigating escalators, exit stairs and small spaces in the row to get past others to enter/exit the row.
The rows have approximately 25 seats across so look at the section entrance as it lists the seats served best (seats 1-13 in this entrance and seats 14-25 at the other entrance). The seats definitely felt a bit firm and they are interactive with the Sphere Experience movie. For a concert, they were comfortable enough but there’s not a lot of space between you and your neighbor.
I’m 5’9” and my legs had a little space between the seat in front of me. The seat has a drink holder by your right foot. If someone needs to get by, you’ll have to stand up and likely hold the seat back to keep your balance and give them space. I got up before the concert started and while I had my back to people to get by, I had to turn to face them because I got disoriented (that might just be a me thing). Folks were good to keep the disruptions to a minimum during the concert. Surprisingly, we sat for the majority of the concert until the final two songs.
Temperature inside the Sphere Las Vegas
Beyond the comfortable shoes and the small handbag, you’ll need to bring a cardigan if you get cold as it’s a bit chilly inside during the concert. I had a fleece jacket with me that was perfect. If you don’t bring a warm option, be prepared to spend a lot of money on a concert merch sweatshirt.
Sphere Concert Guide – Best seats in Sphere for a concert?
The “best seats” are always subjective so I can only share my experience. Reading multiple reviews and comparing seating charts and then referencing the site View from my Seat and then consulting YouTube videos, I choose to look for a seat in section 300. Parts of section 200 are under the overhang and miss out on the full visual experience in the Sphere while they are closer to the band and stage.
I sat in section 308, Row 11 mid row for U2 concert and it was in the middle of the Sphere screens while the band stage below aligned with section 306, two sections over. Section 306 is considered the best section in the middle of the Sphere. Folks also recommend the sections on both sides (305 seats 15+ and 307 seats 1-11) as being closest to 306. I flirted with those sections but didn’t find seats I loved at a price point I could afford so found section 308 pretty good compromise.
In my opinion, the best spots to see the band is at the floor level and 200’s as you are closer to the stage. On the 300 level, I could see the band and my phone zoom worked well too. The 400’s have a great view of the screens but the band might seem like ants. At the end of the day in any concert venue there’s a tradeoff between hearing the band, seeing the band and interacting with other fans. Price also plays a major factor. So, when searching for a concert seat at the Sphere Las Vegas, definitely look at ViewFromMySeat along with YouTube videos of what the view looks like from x section and y seat. As we sat most of the concert, I didn’t have to worry about a tall person standing in front of me blocking my view.
One weird aspect of seeing a concert at the Sphere was that the seats are so steep that for the majority of the concert, everyone was seated. Very few folks were standing or dancing. For U2, we stood for the final two songs and it was good timing but still weird especially given that my last concert in Vegas was Diana Ross with my 80 yo mom and those folks stood the entire performance which was tough for mom and definitely affected her experience.
Sphere Row WC for Accessible Seating
If you have seats in row WC (wheelchair) that’s generally the last row in the section at the entry level for 200’s, 300’s, 400’s. When I entered the Sphere from the terrace lobby there was no need to go up (400’s) or down (300’s) stairs as the WC space was in front with a railing. For the U2 concert I attended, no one in the WC row was in a wheelchair. I did contemplate buying a seat here as it was $100 cheaper than the seat, I chose but having friends and family in wheelchairs that need accessible areas, I opted not to sit here. The WC spaces can accommodate wheelchairs or provide seats that are folding chairs (not interactive seats used in the Sphere Experience) so know that they may not be the most comfortable but you’ll have lots of room to move about. You will have folks walking behind you and interacting with the staff to find their seats so the area does get busy.
As mentioned above row WC is set aside for wheelchair and access users. That doesn’t mean that Ticketmaster and ticket reseller sites will limit access so anyone can buy a seat/space in this row so folks not in wheelchairs were able to sit here without issue. If you have accommodations needs or questions, visit the Sphere Accessibility page to find answers and contact info.
https://www.thespherevegas.com/accessibility-services
Sound System at Sphere Las Vegas
What you’ll first notice is that the music isn’t heard until you enter the Sphere. The lobby is filled with people noises and the sound proofing in the hallway is impressive. The two spaces are distinct and that’s an impressive feat. The opening act for U2 was a DJ and the music was fantastic – it was clear to hear and sing along to (a very GenX playlist). When U2 took the stage, it was easy to hear Bono speak and with the visuals all around easily to marry the music and the experience. You won’t need to bring ear plugs as the sound was nicely balanced and not too loud. Of course, if you have health issues or the band is loud you may want to have just in case.
Exiting the Sphere Las Vegas
For those on the second level of escalators – 300’s and 400’s (lower rows) trying to exit on the escalators was like any sporting event waiting in line to join the escalator. The Sphere does a good job to turn both up and down escalators to one direction (down) to facilitate exiting. A second option exists as folks are directed to the stairs. I entered the stairwell at level six and walked down multiple sets of short stairs that are wide and have multiple railings and grips on the stairs. While you are walking down your side of the stairs, you’ll see folks on the other set of stairs but the two shall not meet, reminding me of the double helix staircase at Chambord in the Loire Valley (yes, weird reference).
Tip – Exit the stairwell at the lobby level on the right to walk back via the Venetian Hotel pedestrian bridge and hotel spaces.
I missed the lobby exit and exited on the street with the masses. Thankfully I had my fleece jacket with me as it was a bit cool inside the Sphere so plan accordingly if you need to exit outside or find the inside Venetian Hotel option. I followed the crowd across the street and along Sands Avenue passing the Venetian Conference Center venue toward the Strip. The lower levels of the Venetian conference center are not open so you can’t enter the hotel this way. You’ll need to walk to the end of the road, which is full of private cars and ride shares in a chaotic mess looking for their riders. There are no taxis at the Sphere as my taxi driver said they aren’t allowed there.
You’ll then walk past another light at the Venetian parking lot across from the Wynn before arriving at the escalators to the Venetian or bridge to Wynn across the street.
Rideshare & Taxis at the Sphere
My taxi driver told me they aren’t allowed to pick up at the Sphere as they allow rideshare only with a special area to use. If you want a taxi, you’ll need to walk to the Venetian or Wynn hotels (nearest hotels). I had no patience to deal with the ride share wait (there are signs inside the Sphere Lobby to direct you to the rideshare area) so I walked to the Venetian Hotel to find a taxi back to the Bellagio. At the corner of Sands Avenue, I entered the Venetian, went down the escalator and to the right to the bathroom (important directions). When I exited to the right, I made my way to the Venetian taxi stand where you can find a taxi or order a ride share. Both wait in the same area underground. It took 20 mins for a taxi to arrive and the ride share area was full the entire time. This might be a better option that the traffic nightmare at The Sphere after the concert.
The Sphere Concert Experience
From start to finish, navigating the Sphere & Venetian Hotel was easy and stress free due to good staffing, plentiful signage and enough food, drink and bathroom options for concert goers. Special Mention as the ladies’ room didn’t have a line pre-concert or after concert as there were enough stalls and locations on the floor. Don’t underestimate how much this matters and saves time. The concert itself was a unique experience with the visuals enhancing the music listening. I’m sure you’ve seen the many videos of U2 at the Sphere and the complete U2 concert at the Sphere from 400’s section, if not here’s mine to add to the group.
U2 has ended their time at the Sphere and there’s no word if they will return, if they do I recommend going. Phish will play four shows in April and Dead & Company will arrive in May to play twenty-four shows. I’ve read the Sphere is keen to land a big get to play in residence so let’s see what happens.