The Las Vegas Sphere opened in late 2023 as one of the most technologically advanced live-music venues in the world—featuring immersive visuals, massive LED screens, and powerful audio capabilities. Several acts have embraced the format for residencies, yet Guitarist Slash of Guns N’ Roses has cast serious doubt on his band ever doing the same. He recently told Trunk Nation: “It’s not really sort of rock-and-roll friendly, the way that it’s set up… I don’t think it would be the right environment for a proper rock and roll show.”
Slash went further, explaining that he believes the Sphere’s presentation shifts focus from raw performance to spectacle. “Everything that I’ve seen, or most everything that I’ve seen of it, looks amazing. I’m real trepidatious about playing there, because it’s a great visual show. I think, in almost every case for a band, it becomes a visual show as opposed to seeing a rock and roll show.”
This isn’t a rejection of the venue’s ambition—it’s a statement of identity. For Guns N’ Roses, the essence of their live act has always been spontaneity, edge, and the unpredictable energy of rock-and-roll in its purest form. Slash’s reservations suggest that the band views the Sphere’s ultra-high-tech format as a mismatch for their ethos. The underlying implication: when every show becomes a high-budget production spectacle, the danger is losing the gritty soul that defines rock live.
As the band evaluates future plans—including a 2026 tour announced earlier this year—this stance could shape not just their venues, but how they present themselves. For fans of Guns N’ Roses, the takeaway is clear: expect another loud, raw, and living-room-level show—not a laser-show factory. And when they do return to a stage, it will be on their terms.
