U2's Sphere Residency breaks Las Vegas box office record
U2's first show at the MSG Sphere brought in nearly $110 million in ticket sales, making it the highest-grossing show of all time in Las Vegas, according to Billboard.
To date, the only Las Vegas residency to gross more than U2: Ultraviolet Warning Baby Live had to run longer to achieve that goal. Elton John's "Million Dollar Piano" earned $131.2 million from 189 performances between 2011 and 2018, according to Billboard, and Celine Dion's "New Day" Earned $385.1 million from 714 shows from 2003 to 2007.
The Irish band also sold 281,000 tickets during their first 17 shows at the world-famous venue, averaging gross revenue and attendance of $6.5 million, with 16,500 tickets sold per show. The average price of a U2 gig also broke records.
Modern Las Vegas residences tend to charge more because they now host top artists in smaller theaters, such as Lady Gaga ($290.15) and Bruno at the 6,400-seat Dolby Live at Park MGM Mars ($285.30).
The average ticket price for U2: Ultraviolet Warning Baby Live is much higher at $390.97, although viewers must see them on a full stage.
Good Day(U2)
While this is good news for Sphere and its CEO James Dolan, it's "much better" news for U2. As guinea pigs for the Sphere, the band reportedly received 90 percent of ticket sales—an unprecedented proportion—and a $10 million advance to produce their own stage show for the groundbreaking venue.
Now, every show after U2 requires similar numbers, which is probably why Harry Styles, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Bon Jovi have all been mentioned, but none have yet made it to Sphere -Residence Obligations .
U2 plans to play eight more Sphere shows in December, starting on Friday nights, with a further 11 shows scheduled between January 26 and February 18. That could mean another $120 million for Sphere (but mostly from the band), pushing the residency's ticket sales to $330 million, second only to Dion, but in less than five months , rather than more than four years.
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