Las Vegas Advisor: Spectacular Sphere opened with splashy U2 concert
ASSOCIATED PRESS
People arrive during the opening night of the Sphere on Sept. 29.
The $2.3 billion MSG Sphere opened last week with the first concert in the U2 residency. Already established as a visual spectacle, with 1.2 million fully programmable hockey puck-sized LEDs on its exterior lighting up on a massive scale, visitors can now experience the state-of-the-art engineering and technology inside. It starts with the “world’s most humanoid robots” that greet visitors and serve as guides who can answer questions about the sphere’s technology, give directions and provide details on daily performances. It’s the first of the three big openings in the city through the new year. Next up is Durango Casino on Nov. 20, then Fontainebleau on Dec. 13.
Video poker tourney: Following up on the success of Las Vegas’ only blackjack mini-tournament, the Downtown Grand has introduced a video poker tournament that runs on the same day. The entry fee is $25 and all the money collected is returned in prize money, with a guarantee of $250 to the winner. The tourney runs Thursdays starting at 5 p.m.
Usher at halftime: It’s been announced that Usher will perform during this season’s Super Bowl halftime show. The game and show will take place at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. The Usher referred to here is not a stadium usher, but rather the eight-time Grammy Award-winning R&B singer.
Cirque anniversaries: Cirque du Soleil’s O celebrates its 25th anniversary at Bellagio on Oct. 15. It’s been a long ongoing run, but not the longest for a Cirque show: Mystere celebrates its 30th this year on Christmas Day.
Question: What are the chances there’ll be a culinary union strike this year?
Answer: Although contracts have expired and upwards of 40,000 members of the Culinary and Bartenders unions voted to authorize a strike, the chances of a walkout being implemented are low. The last executed strike against the casinos took place in 1984, and it’s expected that agreements will be reached again, likely soon, in time for the F1 race.
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