Phish has launched its nine-night residency at Sphere in Las Vegas with a production centered on real-time visuals and a virtual lighting system designed to adapt to live performance.
The show, developed in collaboration with Moment Factory and Sphere Studios, uses Sphere’s large-format display to deliver visual content that evolves alongside the band’s improvisational style. Visual environments shift throughout each performance, reflecting changes in the band’s setlist and live direction.
Moment Factory created a range of visual concepts for the residency, spanning multiple styles and environments that are rendered and adjusted in real time. Sphere Studios provided the underlying technology used to distribute and display content across the venue’s high-resolution media plane.
To incorporate elements of the band’s history into the production, Sphere Studios captured footage at Phish’s studio in Vermont using its Big Sky camera system. The content is used within the show to bring elements of the band’s creative environment into the live experience.
A key component of the production is a virtual lighting system designed to replicate the behavior of a traditional stage lighting rig within the digital environment. The system allows longtime lighting designer Chris Kuroda to control thousands of virtual lighting elements during performances.
The virtual lighting setup is designed to respond dynamically to the performance, enabling lighting changes that align with the band’s improvisational approach. According to the companies involved, the system is intended to mirror the flexibility of a physical lighting rig while operating within a fully digital framework.
“Phish has always embraced improvisation, allowing Sphere Studios to respond with equal creative agility,” said Carolyn Blackwood, Head of Sphere Studios.
Phish’s residency runs for nine nights at Sphere in Las Vegas.
