U2’s Las Vegas residency, the first musical performance at MSG Entertainment’s new Sphere at The Venetian Resort venue, has been years in the making.
Hundreds of people who bought tickets for U2’s Las Vegas residency are being offered refunds after being told days after making their purchases that the seats had obstructed views of the event venue’s screen.
A spokesperson for Sphere Entertainment Co., which represents the soon-to-open $2 billion Sphere at The Venetian Resort, said in a statement that show organizers realized during a production review that an overhang on the first level would limit the view of the concert’s screen for some attendees. A source familiar with the issue said it would affect about 4% of the venue’s approximately 17,500 seats.
“As soon as we realized there was an issue, we worked closely with Event Organizers to reach the affected ticketholders with several make good options,” the statement said.
In addition to refunds, affected customers are being offered access to a presale for seats with full views of the band, stage and screen during the band’s December performances.
The ticket woes have drawn criticism on social media, with some posters calling out Ticketmaster for the error.
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster, which has reached out to customers, declined to comment.
Ticketmaster is still licking its wounds in the wake of the botched rollout for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour that saw the ticket seller’s website crash and on-sale dates postponed due to overwhelming demand.
The ticketing giant fared better amid the release of tickets to Beyonce’s “Renaissance,” telling one industry outlet it had successfully handled “extraordinary” interest in the tour after tickets went on sale in February.
Ticketmaster also drew criticism from The Cure frontman Robert Smith for eye-watering fees, prompting Ticketmaster to offer refunds to customers who’d purchased tickets to the band’s latest North American tour.
According to Sphere’s website, tickets for U2’s residency start at $550.
The band’s residency, the first musical performance to take place in the Sphere, has been years in the making. Construction on the venue has been underway for five years. According to Rolling Stone, U2 first heard about Sphere “a little over two years ago” and the band had been top-of-mind for MSG to inaugurate the venue.
Unlike many traditional arenas, the dome-shaped Sphere is specially designed for music acts.
“It’s just an amazing playpen for us,” U2 guitarist The Edge told Rolling Stone.