U2 announce Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere (first performances since 2019)
Iconic rock band U2 have announced their first set of performances in four years.
During the Super Bowl broadcast, the act announced Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere, which will take place at Las Vegas’ MSG Sphere this fall. This will be the first set of shows taking place at the new venue. A trailer for the event, which was seen during the big game, can be seen below.
These performances will find drummer Larry Mullen Jr. sitting out due to surgery. For these gigs, they’ll be replaced by drummer Bram van den Berg.
The band said this about the forthcoming performances:
“The Sphere show has been in the works for a long time. We don't want to let people down, least of all our audience… the truth is we miss them as much as they appear to miss us… our audience was always the fifth member of the band. Bottom line, U2 hasn't played live since December 2019 and we need to get back on stage and see the faces of our fans again. And what a unique stage they're building for us out there in the desert… We're the right band, ACHTUNG BABY the right album, and the Sphere the right venue to take the live experience of music to the next level… That's what U2's been trying to do all along with our satellite stages and video installations, most memorably on the ZOO TV Tour, which ended in Tokyo 30 years ago this Fall.
The Sphere is more than just a venue, it's a gallery and U2's music is going to be all over the walls."
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Executive Chairman and CEO James L. Dolan also said:
“MSG Sphere’s advanced technology allows a legendary band like U2 to bring its music to life in entirely new ways. The Sphere is a new medium that will redefine entertainment.”
Fans can register here to get the first shot at dates and ticket sale announcements. More information about MSG Sphere can be found here.
U2 will release the album Songs of Surrender on March 17 via Island Records and Interscope Records. The album features 40 re-recorded songs from the band’s vast discography. Pre-orders for the album can be found here.