I went to see U2’s Sphere residency in Las Vegas. It sets a new standard for arena concerts

It’s a Saturday night at the Las Vegas Sphere, and the crowd—more than 18,000 strong—is on its feet. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, arms aloft, look down from the VIP row and sway to the music. Ed Sheeran is there, too. Above and below them, a sea of camera phones is trained on the 160,000 square foot, 16k screen as the dazzling, crystal clear image of a pink sky comes into view. U2’s Bono is crouched, head bowed, waiting for his moment.

It’s time. The familiar and evocative arpeggios from Edge’s guitar puncture the stillness, launching the band into “Where The Streets Have No Name.” Beside me, in the 100-level section just above the general admission crowd on the floor, an older man wearing a blazer turns to the woman beside him and exclaims “Holy fucking shit!” He then turns back to the screen—the highest-resolution LED screen anywhere in the world, nestled inside the biggest spherical structure anywhere in the world—and begins to sing at the top of his lungs, along with everyone else, about how he wants to run, hide, and tear down the walls that hold him inside.