Bono and his band mates are back in The Sphere: U2’s legendary “Achtung Baby Live” show will be repeated as a concert film on the giant 16K screen. “V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film” starts on September 5.
Nearly a year ago, The Sphere started illuminating from the inside, hosting a six-month concert residency by the Irish rock band U2. The performances were widely regarded as a fitting debut for this record-breaking new venue. Over the course of 40 shows, “U2 Achtung Baby Live at Sphere” drew in 663,000 visitors. Now, The Sphere is bringing the experience back. Starting on September 5, it will screen “V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film” on its giant 16K screen, utilizing The Sphere’s signature sound system.
Here is a trailer of the movie:
To be able to run on the ultra-high-definition screen, the movie directors used Sphere Studios’ Big Sky 18K camera system, specifically designed for such recordings. The massive curved LED screen, combined with the Holoplot sound system featuring 1,600 integrated and 300 mobile speakers, aims to give visitors an experience that is comparable to the live performance.
The movie was directed by Morleigh Steinberg and U2 guitarist The Edge. They faced the challenge of working with the never-before-used camera system during production. “We knew all the tremendous capabilities of the technology, but we didn’t know what to expect from the process of making this film,” says 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”.
Tickets for the screening start at 100 US dollars, compared to 140 US dollars for the live show. However, the concert series quickly sold out, causing ticket prices to skyrocket. It is not yet known how long the concert film will run at The Sphere.