Subscribe
Follow Us
U2's residency at the Sphere has been a resounding fiscal success.
Achtung, y'all
Billboard is reporting that U2's first slew of 17 shows at the Sphere have grossed $109.8 million. That means that they sold 281,000 tickets across these shows. This is the fastest-grossing residency in Billboard's Boxscore history.
The show will go on, with U2 slated for 19 more shows through February 18. Billboard projects that the total gross for the Sphere shows will be upwards of $300 million by the end of the last scheduled show.
And who knows — maybe U2 will extend its residency once again and add to their tally. Only time will tell. Their engagement with the Sphere was initially only announced as a few dates. But demand led the residency to extend all the way into February 2024.
U2's residency, titled U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, commenced on September 29, 2023. The shows marked the band's first shows since 2019, when they played an extension of their 2017 “Joshua Tree” anniversary tour in Asia and Australia. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr., however, is not present during these shows.
The band is playing their Achtung Baby in full for the first time in a live setting. They utilize the gigantic 16K resolution screen to display breathtaking backdrops during their songs. Online photos and videos don't do the venue justice.
This is a promising sign for the Sphere. U2 is a big name that will put butts in seats, especially as the inaugural band to play the venue. Going forward, other acts will have to follow that and we'll see if they can.
