No Sphere Residency for Beyoncé, Who Could Land Elsewhere on Vegas Strip — Report

Posted on: July 11, 2024, 09:22h. 

Last updated on: July 12, 2024, 09:09h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Myths.

Talks have broken off between Beyoncé and the Sphere, the Vegas venue she teased about playing in a February Verizon commercial. However, according to the New York Post, the pop superstar could land elsewhere on the Strip.

Beyoncé rode a metallic horse atop what looks like the Sphere in this AI-generated Verizon Wireless commercial. (Images: Verizon)

Reps for the singer, whose first country album, “Cowboy Carter,” has gone platinum, had been in talks with Sphere owner James Dolan since at least November 2023.

Ultimately, according to The Post, the dealbreaker was Queen Bey’s demand for the 20,000-seat venue to go dark for two weeks so she could rehearse there. That would have cut too deeply into the killing the Sphere makes from its four movie showings per day.

In 2023, Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from the Edge” generated $44.5 million by selling $100 tickets from September through November, versus $30.7 million from U2’s venue-opening residency during the same period.

Beyoncé’s people also reportedly demanded that Dolan put a $10 million ring on it — the cost they demanded up front to produce the hi-tech visual effects required by the spherical concert venue. That’s the same money U2 got.

According to The Post, Beyoncé, who finished her “Renaissance” tour last September, is now negotiating with MGM Resorts about possibly performing 25 shows a year for four years. The specific Vegas venue operated by MGM wasn’t mentioned, though the Park MGM’s Dolby Live seems the best fit.

Currently, the Dead & Company are playing the Sphere for the summer before the Eagles begin its next residency in the fall. No music residencies are lined up so far for 2025, according to The Post.

As Casino.org reported last month, however, two new movies are in production exclusively for the Sphere.