During a recent conversation on Sirius XM’s “Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk,” Phil Collen, guitarist for Def Leppard, expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of performing at the Sphere in Las Vegas, though he also shared a significant concern. According to Collen, there’s a risk that the venue’s impressive visual production might end up overshadowing the band.
Collen mentioned that, while he has only experienced the immersive Wizard of Oz show inside the venue and has watched concert footage online, his impression —without it being a negative criticism— is that the Sphere becomes the true star, regardless of which artist is on stage. “That’s what scares us a little,” he admitted. Although he would love to play there and called the experience “amazing,” he noted that audiences might end up paying more attention to the production than to the band. Even so, he remained open to the possibility and said they would gladly accept if the opportunity arose.
During his visit to the 17,600-capacity venue, Collen recalled how the immersive visuals affected his family: his son Jackson even tried to grab one of the projected apples. That visual experience, though fascinating, made him wonder whether an actual concert might end up being overshadowed by the technology — something he said they will only find out once they live it.
Since opening in September 2023, the Sphere has become a major live entertainment destination in Las Vegas. Located right next to the famous Strip, it features a wraparound 16K resolution LED screen and an advanced immersive sound system developed by HOLOPLOT. Several veteran rock acts have already held residencies there, including U2, Phish, Dead & Company, and the Eagles. U2 was the inaugural act, with 40 shows between September 2023 and March 2024, performing Achtung Baby in full for over 700,000 fans.
Heavy metal has also found a home at the Sphere. Metallica, for example, expanded their upcoming “Miento arde más rápido” residency to 24 shows, which will begin in early October 2026 and extend into 2027, maintaining their “No Repeat Weekend” format with no songs repeated during their Thursday and Saturday performances.
Meanwhile, Def Leppard have officially expanded their massive 2026 world tour, adding a new leg of shows scheduled for October and November. The newly announced concerts will take the band to audiences in the United States, Mexico, and South America. Extreme will continue as the main opening act. The world tour originally kicked off in India last March, right after the band’s hugely successful residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Finally, in January, the band released a new standalone single titled “Rejoice.” Frontman Joe Elliott explained how the song came together, sharing that he approached guitarist Phil Collen with a lyrical idea about someone who is at rock bottom and longs to rise to a higher level. Collen’s response was immediate: as it turns out, he already had the perfect musical piece to match that vision.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director
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