U2 have announced a Las Vegas residency.
The Irish rock legends confirmed ‘The U2: UV Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere’ residency is taking place in Sin City later this year, in a commercial that aired during a break at The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show on Sunday (12.03.23).
The series of shows will take place at the all-new MSG Sphere venue on the strip, and will focus on their 1991 album, ‘Achtung Baby’.
However, Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton will be performing without injured drummer Larry Mullen Jr.
The ‘Without You’ hitmakers explained in a statement: “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.”
The dates are yet to be revealed.
Dutch sticksman Bram van den Berg will step in for Larry, who underwent back surgery and is unable to perform for the rest of 2023.
In December, Larry ruled himself out of touring with U2 this year due to ongoing physical health issues.
The 61-year-old musician explained that he needed surgery after injuring his “elbows, knees [and] neck”.
Larry told The Washington Post’s journalist Geoff Edgers that he’d “like to take some time … to get myself healed.”
He continued: “My body is not what it used to be, physically. Like next year, I won’t be performing live next year. I don’t know what the band’s plan is. There’s talk of all kinds of things.”
Geoff took to Twitter to clarify that Larry is not “leaving or retiring” from the band.