USA - Sphere Entertainment Co has announced a ‘one-of-a-kind cinematic experience’ to be shown exclusively at Sphere. V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas, directed by Morleigh Steinberg and The Edge, showcases the history-making and future-defining U2:UV show directed by Willie Williams, which played to over 700,000 fans from 100+ countries across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024.
Sphere celebrated the film’s opening with an impressive drone show. Hundreds of drones displayed the V-U2 logo against the Vegas skyline, making the Exosphere ‘come to life’.
V-U2 is the first film ever to be shot entirely with Big Sky, the ultra-high-resolution camera system developed by Sphere Entertainment. V-U2 does not just capture U2’s epic run at Sphere, it allows audiences to feel like they are at the live shows.
To create this larger-than-life concert film, a number of Big Sky cameras captured the band at extraordinary scale, sharpness, and clarity. V-U2 employs Sphere’s immersive technologies including the 160,000 sq. ft. display plane, which at 16k x 16k resolution is the world's highest resolution LED screen; Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by Holoplot, which provides crystal-clear sound to every seat in Sphere; and haptic seats, which use vibrations so guests can ‘feel’ the experience.
Launching a venue like Sphere challenged the band to create a once-in-a-lifetime audio/visual concert experience and the same standards were upheld for the film. Co-directors The Edge and Morleigh Steinberg spoke about the filmmaking process: "The goal was to give the immersive movie goers as close to the live U2:UV concert experience as possible – and then some. I’ve never seen a U2 show. I’m so relieved I caught a great one," said The Edge.
“We knew all the tremendous capabilities of the technology, but we didn’t know what to expect from the process of making this film. 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,” said Morleigh Steinberg.
"V-U2 is a first-of-its-kind immersive film that will transport audiences back to U2’s groundbreaking live Sphere shows and make them feel like they are there,” said Josephine Vaccarello, executive vice-president, live, MSG Entertainment, who oversees live bookings for Sphere. “This concert film was created specifically for Sphere and will utilise the venue’s technologies to create an experience that is only possible at this next-generation entertainment medium.”
