Photo: U2 - Atomic City - Press Photos - Sam Jones
U2 kicked off a highly-anticipated run of "U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere" shows during opening night of the cutting-edge new venue at the Venetian in Las Vegas on Friday (September 29) and took over the stage with the live debut of their latest single, "Atomic City." According to a press release, U2 were the first band to perform at Sphere: a one-of-a-kind venue that utilizes top-of-the-line technology to deliver the world’s largest and highest-resolution screens, making for an "awe-inspiring," immersive musical experience.
Bono and The Edge, along with bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Bram van den Berg delivered an unforgettable performance, standing out as the first of a 25-date residency highlighting iconic 1991 album Achtung Baby. A handful of VIP guests including Oprah, Jeff Bezos, Paul McCartney, Jason Bateman, Diplo, Lebron James, Mario Lopez, and Orlando Bloom showed up to experience the first-of-its-kind concert, and to celebrate the opening of the venue.
As if being the first band to perform at Sphere wasn't spectacular enough, U2 also debuted their brand new single, "Atomic City," live for the first time during the show. The title of the electric new tune is a nod to the history of Las Vegas itself. Now "Sin City"; Vegas was once referred to as the "Atomic City" due to its "proximity to the Nevada Test Site" in the 1950s when atomic fascination peaked.
U2's next performance at Sphere will take place on Thursday, October 5th, with additional weekend shows to follow.