Dead Forever: Live at Sphere (2024) was a concert residency by the America rock band Dead & Company at Sphere in Paradise, Nevada, in the Las Vegas Valley. Originally scheduled for 24 shows beginning on March 20, 2024, the residency was expanded to 30 shows total, concluding on August 10, 2024.[1][2]
The residency was positively received by fans and critics, who praised the band's performance and the Sphere's visual displays and audio capabilities.[3][4][5] The residency sold 477,000 tickets and grossed $131.4 million, making it 10th-highest-grossing concert residency of all time.[6][7]
Dead & Company has reprised the show's production for another residency at Sphere in 2025, consisting of 18 shows.
Background
Sphere
Sphere is spherical, immersive music and entertainment venue in the Las Vegas Valley, known for its 160,000-square-foot (15,000 m2) LED screen that wraps around the interior.[8] Sphere opened in September 2023 with the 40-show residency U2:UV Achtung Baby Live by the Irish rock band U2. American rock band Phish played a four-day residency at the venue in April 2024.[9][10]
Dead & Company
Following speculation of the band's potential dissolution after their 2023 summer tour, drummer Mickey Hart hinted at the possibility of future Dead & Company shows, explaining: "It's not final anything. We never said we'll never play again, but we'll never tour again."[11]
Prior to performing at Sphere, Dead & Company had never undertaken a concert residency, instead favoring traditional touring and festival appearances. Since their formation in 2015, the band primarily toured North America, performing in major arenas, stadiums, and amphitheaters. In addition to their annual tours, they hosted Playing in the Sand, a multi-night destination festival in Cancún, Mexico, where they performed exclusive sets for fans in an intimate beachfront setting.[12][13] The decision to embark on a residency at Sphere marked a significant departure from their usual touring model, offering a stationary, immersive concert experience unlike any in the band's history.[14]
Development
Lead guitarist John Mayer served as the creative director of the residency and worked with the creative agency Treatment Studio and Industrial Light & Magic to produce the visuals displayed on Sphere's wraparound LED screen.[15] Production took approximately six months according to Mayer, and development of new visuals continued throughout the residency.[15][16]
Announcement and itinerary
Rumors about a potential Dead & Company residency at Sphere began circulating following the conclusion of their 2023 summer tour.[17][18] On February 1, 2024, Dead & Company officially announced the residency.[19] The band was the third act to play at the venue.[9] The residency was initially scheduled to have 24 shows beginning on March 20 and concluding on July 13, but it was eventually extended into August with six additional concerts.[20] The band performed three nights a week, typically on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
The residency concluded after 30 shows on August 10, 2024.
Show synopsis and production
Consistent with all previous Dead & Company tours, each show featured a unique setlist, ensuring that no songs were repeated within a single weekend. This approach ensured fans received a fresh and varied experience at every show.[23]
The pre-show visuals showed steel framework
Each show began and ended with the same visual scene displayed. As concertgoers entered Sphere, the LED screen displayed steel framework that appeared to be the interior of the venue. After playing their opening song in this setting, the steel framework would slide open to place the viewer in front of the Grateful Dead's old house on 710 Ashbury Street in modern-day San Francisco. As the second song began, the viewer would "fly" directly upward above the city into space. At the conclusion of each show, the Earth would reappear into view as the viewers "descend" back down Ashbury house, this time in a 1967 setting. Finally, audio from a news reel introducing the Grateful Dead would play, followed by the words "Dead Forever" flashing on the screen. The band would then play an encore to a displayed montage of Grateful Dead band photos.[24][25][26]
Visuals displayed during the residency.
Over 20 unique visual sequences were produced for residency. These included a paint by number cartoon landscape, a sunken sailboat, a desert landscape with Spaghetti Western style film credits, and a kaleidoscope spiral with peace symbols and the Grateful Dead's "marching bear" icons. Other sequences depict a time-lapse construction of the Wall of Sound, the motorcycle-riding Uncle Sam skeleton featured in The Grateful Dead Movie, and a moving tour that takes concertgoers through iconic venues frequented by the Grateful Dead including Red Rocks Amphitheater, Winterland Ballroom, Barton Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and Madison Square Garden.[27][28] There were no repeated visuals within a single show, but some visuals were repeated across different shows throughout the weekend.
On May 30, the band paid tribute to basketball player and well-known deadheadBill Walton, who had died three days prior. Walton's jersey number, 32, adorned with red roses, was displayed on the venue's screens throughout the night, and band members affixed stickers of his number to their instruments. The show's encore, "Fire on the Mountain", was a favorite of Walton's. As the band finished the show, images of Walton with members of the Grateful Dead were displayed.[29][30]
Due to Sphere's dome structure and its advanced spatial audio system, band members relied on in-ear monitors, a career first for rhythm guitarist Bob Weir.[31][32]
Dead Forever Experience
The Dead Forever Experience, a temporary exhibit at the Venetian
A pop-up exhibit called the "Dead Forever Experience" was opened at the Venetian resort for the entirety of the residency. The exhibit featured a one-fourth scale model of the Wall of Sound, a gallery of drummer Mickey Hart's art, archivists David Lemieux's concert tape collection, and a gallery of Grateful Dead tour photos spanning from 1965 to 1995. Additionally, fans who purchased a VIP package could view a performance of the band's 2023 performance at Cornell University. The exhibit also served as a merchandise store and cocktail bar with speciality Grateful Dead themed drinks.[33][34]
Reception
The residency was positively received by both fans and critics. The combination of the band's performance and Sphere's cutting-edge visuals and audio technology was frequently highlighted as a standout feature of the residency. Reviewers commended the immersive experience, with some noting the innovative use of spatial audio and the unique visual storytelling that accompanied each performance. The residency was celebrated for its fresh approach to the band's classic music and its ability to captivate both longtime fans and newcomers.[35][36][37][38]
Dead Forever won the Residency of the Year award at the 2025 Pollstar Awards.[39]
Future
Before the residency's conclusion, rhythm guitarists Bob Weir expressed interest in returning to Sphere for future performances.[40] Weir also expressed interest in releasing recordings of residency's concerts in the form of virtual reality film.[41]
On December 4, 2024, Dead & Company announced an 18-show residency beginning on March 20, 2025.[42][43]
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