U2 Begins Las Vegas Residency at Technologically Advanced Sphere Venue: ‘What a Fancy Pad’

U2 kicked off their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Friday night — and it was the “Sweetest Thing.”

During the first of 25 shows — and U2’s first full live concert since 2019 — the band performed a set of 22 hits, including “One,” “With or Without You” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.”

They also paid tribute to Vegas with a performance of “Atomic City,” after shooting the song’s music video in the city earlier this month.

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The Irish group, which includes Bono and The Edge, occasionally drew on Vegas themes during the show, flashing pictures of Elvis Presley on the walls of the venue at one point. “Elvis has definitely not left this building,” Bono, 63, said at one point in the show.

Many A-list stars were in attendance at the opening night, including Jon Hamm, Elizabeth Banks, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Orlando Bloom and Paul McCarthy. Never miss a story—sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay in the loop—find out the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

U2 performs in Las Vegas.

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U2 to ‘break the fourth wall’ with first live show in 4 years at new Las Vegas residency at Sphere

In addition to listening to the famous band, the thousands of fans gathered inside the hall marveled at the 16K wraparound LED screen, 167,000 speakers and even five humanoid robots that greeted guests in the lobby. “What a fancy pad,” Bono said of the venue, which sits inside a 366-foot-tall dome just east of the famed Las Vegas Strip.

When it was first lit on the 4th of July weekend, an American flag and fireworks were displayed. Since then, the outer dome has transformed into a realistic eyeball, basketball, moon, earth and pumpkin, among other objects.

U2 performs in Las Vegas.

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The rock band also used visual possibilities, as the members appeared on the walls of the hall inside bubbles, on split screens or in cubes.

Statements like “Believe,” “This Is Not A Rehearsal” and “It Could Never Happen Here” later flashed throughout the venue during “Even Better Than The Real Thing.” And at one point, while standing at his rotating microphone, Bono let fans in on a secret before singing “All I Want Is You,” telling the audience, “I’ve never said anything like this, but this song is an attempt to write a wedding song from a woman’s point of view.”

U2 performs in Las Vegas.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

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U2’s weekend set marked the first time since October 1978 that the group played without drummer Larry Mullen, who has health problems.

He was replaced by Bram van den Berg, drummer of the Dutch rock band Krezip.

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Source: HIS Education