A Sneak Peak Inside The Las Vegas Sphere And U2 Residency

It's a huge weekend in Las Vegas. Time to go inside The Sphere.

Living in Las Vegas, we have watched the Sphere being built brick by brick -- or actually, LED light panel by LED light panel. Though we still don't know that much about it or the inside.

This weekend will change all that, as U2 will kick off their very unique residency featuring one of their most popular albums "Achtung Baby." According to Best Selling Albums -- an online database used to archive album sales -- "The Achtung Baby" album sold 18,000,000 copies.

One of the most popular bands will be playing in one of the most popular cities in the world.

If you're going to the first U2 shows this weekend, it probably has set you back a few bucks. But on the other hand, you kind of paid to see history be made in a first-of-its kind structure.

Jim Dolan is the owner of The Sphere. As we know, Dolan is CEO of Madison Square Garden. He also owns the New York Knicks and Rangers. He's no stranger to making big deals and taking big chances.

CBS News did an in-depth and behind-the-scenes look at U2's show, and inside of The Sphere. It's truly mind-blowing.

U2 is not the only show at The Sphere. According to its website, Director Daron Aronofsky has put his heart and soul into a documentary called "Postcard From Earth." Calling it part sci-fi and part nature; it will be almost like an immersive movie shown within the Sphere. What a great way to fuse art and science together to create something so spectacular that leaves us in awe. The video below shows you the incredible technology behind this venue.

The Sphere has definitely changed the skyline of Las Vegas and entertainment in Las Vegas. It is far from the days of the Rat Pack and Elvis. Although I'd love to see any one of those -- along with The Beatles at The Convention Center -- inside on the big ball. Or maybe, they'll eventually be broadcasted across the sphere.

After Aura, the robot greeter, welcomes you, it's an experience unlike any other. I personally can't wait to attend a show there, and who knows what other spectacular events are yet to be announced!

Las Vegas used to be the land of FREE PARKING! Well that has certainly changed, and locals are downright unhappy.

If there’s just one thing locals wish they could demand out of Strip, and downtown casinos, it would be free parking. Locals admit, they would do a lot more on the strip if they didn't have to pay for parking. It's not necessarily the price, but the principal.

Self-parking garage policies have changed dramatically over the years, and far ewer resorts offer complimentary parking in Las Vegas nowadays.

The latest to announce "no more free parking" is The Venetian and The Palazzo, whose management said paid parking will kick in at the resorts sometime later in August.

The policy change appears to be because of the anticipated opening of the Sphere – so I'm quite certain other parking garages will change their policies so they can also cash in on the new foot traffic we'll be seeing.

Here’s a breakdown of the free and sorta, kinda, free-ish parking garages that are still available as of the beginning of August 2023. How long it will last is anyone's guess, so grab it while you can!

The options of complimentary self-parking in Las Vegas are very limited. Several properties on the Strip offer free parking to locals for a specific number of hour, or on certain days. And a few downtown properties will validate for a few hours (some keep it pretty secret, so don't be afraid to ask.

Many resorts offer free self-parking for loyalty program members of a designated level, and local Nevada ID's can save you a little bit.

Horseshoe, Caesars Palace, Paris, The Linq, Flamingo and the Cromwell resorts all offer the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license.

Bellagio, Aria, Vdara, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur resorts, offer the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license.

The Mirage offers the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license. Locals who use their Nevada ID at the resort’s players club, and join Hard Rock’s Unity loyalty program will be upgraded to the second-tier and gain complimentary free parking access.

Resorts World offers complimentary parking for 'Genting Reward' members.

The Strat offers complimentary parking for locals with valid Nevada ID.  (Yay!!!!)