U2 Live at the Sphere: UV Achtung Baby show dates, can you get tickets, what are the door times - setlist?

U2 kicked-off a spectacular residency at Las Vegas's most talked about new venue this weekend.

Bono, The Edge and co pulled off their first shows at the Sphere at the Venetian Resort - previously known as MSG Sphere. The concerts were the first of a planned 25 gig series over the coming months.

U2 will be without drummer Larry Mullen Jr. for the shows as he is recovering from surgery. It is the first time since 1978 that the band have performed without him.

The shows at Sphere at the Venetian Resort were announced, after much speculation, during Super Bowl LVII in February 2023. It was revealed that the U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere concerts would focus on the band's 1991 album of the same name.

Fans were raving on social media after footage from the initial concerts at the Sphere were shared online. But when are the concert dates, can you get tickets?

Here's all you need to know:

When are U2 shows at the Sphere?

The band will be playing 25 shows during the 'venue launch' residency at Las Vegas' most talked about new arena. It started on Friday, 29 September and will continue until Saturday, 16 December. Here's the full list of dates:

• Friday, 29 September
• Saturday, 30 September
• Thursday, 5 October
• Saturday, 7 October
• Sunday, 8 October
• Wednesday, 11 October
• Friday, 13 October
• Saturday, 14 October
• Wednesday, 18 October
• Friday, 20 October
• Saturday, 21 October
• Wednesday, 25 October
• Friday, 27 October
• Saturday, 28 October
• Wednesday, 1 November
• Friday, 3 November
• Saturday, 4 November
• Friday, 1 December
• Saturday, 2 December
• Wednesday, 6 December
• Friday, 8 December
• Saturday, 9 December
• Wednesday, 13 December
• Friday, 15 December
• Saturday, 16 December

What is the Sphere?

The Sphere at the Venetian Resort is a quite literally a spherical music and entertainment arena in Las Vegas. It was designed by Populous and was announced by the Madison Square Garden Company in 2018.

It features an 18,600-seat auditorium and includes a 16K resolution wraparound interior LED screen, speakers with beamforming and wave field synthesis technologies, and 4D physical effects. The Sphere was due to open in 2021 but due to Covid-19 pandemic related delays this ended up being pushed to 2023.

The Sphere officially opened with the U2 concert on Friday, 29 September.

What time do the doors open?

The doors will open at The Sphere 90 minutes before the concert starts. The show will start at 8pm each night - so doors will open at 6.30pm.

What is U2 selist for Sphere shows?

The shows will focus on U2's 1991 album Achtung Baby and fans can expect to hear plenty of the tracks from that seminal release. According to Setlist.fm this was the setlist from the first two U2 shows at the Sphere on 29 and 30 September:

Achtung Baby

• Zoo Station(a cappella intro)
• The Fly
• Even Better Than the Real Thing
• Mysterious Ways
• One
• Until the End of the World
• Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
• Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World

Acoustic

• All I Want Is You
• Desire
• Angel of Harlem
• Love Rescue Me

Achtung Baby

• So Cruel
• Acrobat
• Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
• Love Is Blindness(with Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas" snippet)

Encore

• Elevation
• Atomic City
• Vertigo
• Where the Streets Have No Name
• With or Without You
• Beautiful Day

Can you get tickets for U2 at the Sphere?

Concert dates and ticket sale information was confirmed on 24 April - with just five dates announced at first. This was later expanded to 25 and stretched through to December 2023.

It was reported that there was a million ticket requests submitted within the first day for U2's concerts at The Sphere in Las Vegas. The band and the venue also announced that 60% of tickets would be available for less than $300.

Ticketmaster advises that general admission is sold out for the shows in early October but Hotel & VIP Experiences are still available. The website explains: "For fans traveling to Las Vegas, Hotel & VIP Experience packages are available for purchase now from Vibee. The range of elevated hospitality packages include premium concert seating, luxury suites at The Venetian, the only resort attached to Sphere, priority entry to Zoo Station Pop-Up Experience and daily Cinema Screenings at The Venetian, priority access into Sphere, commemorative U2 laminate and lanyard, and more!"

On the Sphere's website, it has tickets available for dates through the end of October, November and December - however fans will have to fork out upwards of $500 for them.