As the start of the 24-date Dead Forever residency at Las Vegas, NV’s Sphere approaches, Dead & Company have answered a question that has been echoing through Deadhead message boards and fan groups for months: No, the band will not livestream the Sphere shows. The decision marks a notable change of course for Dead & Company, who have historically offered livestream options for the majority of their performances.
In the caption of an otherwise innocuous countdown post containing past photos of Dead & Company performing live, Weir noted, “Count ‘em… 7 days until [Sphere]. … Sphere shows will not be streamed online – you need to experience this live!”
Dead & Company will mark the third band to perform a run of shows at the state-of-the-art entertainment arena in Las Vegas, NV. Famed Irish rock act U2 helped open Sphere last year with a 40-show residency that stretched into March 2024. While U2 did mount a brief broadcast from Sphere during the 2024 Grammy Award ceremony, none of the band’s 40 largely similar shows at the venue were streamed in full. When Phish took over the venue for a four-show run in April 2024, the jam quartet offered pay-per-view livestreams of its performances, each of which featured a unique setlist.
While Dead & Company promised when the run was announced that each of the band’s eight three-night Sphere weekends would feature unique setlists, fans have speculated that those segments may look largely the same, offering a similar experience to fans regardless of which weekend they happen to attend. Others have noted that with a handful of tickets still available for most of the shows via primary sources and the once-inflated secondary market currently dipping below face value, a lack of demand may be prompting Dead & Company to forego livestream operations at Sphere.
If you’ve been on the fence about sending it to Vegas for Dead & Co at Sphere, it might be time to check out some flights. For a complete list of dates, click below. For ticketing details, head here. Listen to soundboard recordings from the last Dead & Company tour via nugs.net here.
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