Phish
Phish has announced their first run of shows at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the iconic venue which has already become a fixture of the Vegas strip. I’ve personally seen Phish at MSG 21 times and I’m ready for a change next NYE and this could be Phish’s way of seeing if The Sphere is worth a NYE show in 2024…
From the earliest mockups of The Sphere being released to the public, before construction ever even started, Phish phans have been eagerly awaiting an announcement from the band about playing there. And Phish fans will have to wait no longer as they announced a 4-night run, from April 18-21, next Spring.
The announcement came on YouTube with a teaser video showing Chris Kuroda’s lights taking over The Sphere:
Why Phish And The Sphere Are The Perfect Match
Chris Kuroda, the unofficial 5th member of Phish, is arguably the best lighting designer in the music industry. His lighting rigs are arguably as integral to a Phish show as the music itself. It’s quite literally impossible to imagine a Phish show with Kuroda’s lights.
The Sphere in Las Vegas is the Bugatti of lighting rigs. This will be like handing the keys of a Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton and watching him BLAST OFF after years of operating a Mercedes.
Tickets will be VERY hard to get. Requests for tickets to the 4-night Phish run are already underway. The cost of two 4-night passes after TicketMaster fees is $1,568.68. The cost for four 4-night passes $3,131.36. That’s just the face value too.
With only 18,600 seats in The Sphere, Phish fans will be fighting tooth and nail to get tickets to this historic run despite the exorbitant cost. And to be sure, about 90% of Phish fans will complain about the cost will 100% of the fanbase will still be willing to fork over the $ for tickets to this run.
It was only a matter of time…
Phish and The Sphere shared a connection long before The Sphere was even built. The boys from Vermont have played 79 shows at Madison Square Garden which is owned by James Dolan, the very same billionaire who also owns The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Phish basically has carte blanche to book MSG shows and they’ve owned NYE dates there in recent years. There is hope from much of the Phish fanbase that the band will eventually look to The Sphere for New Year’s Eve concerts in lieu of Madison Square Garden and this 4-night run in April may be the band’s way of testing those waters.
Requests for tickets to Phish’s run at The Sphere can be made on the band’s ticketing website. Fans can request 4-night passes, individual nights, and there are travel packages available as well.
In the announcement, Phish boasted about what their run at The Sphere will entail. An email from the band claimed:
“Each of Phish’s shows at Sphere will feature completely unique setlists AND visuals, making every show a truly once-in-a-lifetime audio-visual experience.”
The email went on to say “Sphere is powered by next-generation technologies, including a 160,000 sq. ft. LED display inside the main venue bowl that wraps up, over, and around the audience, creating a fully immersive visual environment. At 16K x 16K, it is the highest resolution LED screen on earth. The venue also features Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, the world’s most advanced concert-grade audio system, which delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest.”
The Sphere is already generating enormous revenue for artists and the venue itself. U2 just wrapped a 17-show run and broke records along the way with $110 MILLION in revenue.