Slash Rules Out Guns N’ Roses Sphere Residency - Yet

Slash doesn’t think Las Vegas’ Sphere is ready for a Guns N’ Roses takeover. Speaking with Trunk Nation on SiriusXM, the guitarist said the high-tech venue, while visually striking, doesn’t align with the band’s traditional live setup.

“I haven’t been yet, but just everything that I’ve seen, or most everything that I’ve seen of it, looks amazing,” Slash said. “I’m real trepidatious about playing there, because… it’s a great visual show. I think that in almost every case for a band, it becomes a visual show as opposed to seeing a rock ’n’ roll show.”

The Sphere, which opened in 2023, has become one of the most technically advanced performance spaces in the world, outfitted with 160,000 square feet of LED screens and surround-sound systems capable of projecting immersive imagery in every direction. The venue has already hosted residencies from U2, Phish, and the Eagles, with upcoming runs by Dead & Company and No Doubt.

While Slash praised the concept, he questioned whether its focus on visuals complements the raw energy of a live rock performance. “It’s a great idea, and conceptually there’s probably a lot of cool things you could do,” he said. “But I don’t think it would be the right environment for a proper rock ’n’ roll show.”

Slash added that he sought advice from Joe Walsh, whose band the Eagles currently perform their The Long Goodbye farewell shows at the Sphere. According to Walsh, the venue’s design requires significant adaptation from artists who rely on the improvisational, organic nature of a live band.

“He told me it’s not really sort of rock ’n’ roll friendly, the way that it’s set up,” Slash recalled. “You have to prepare your mind to put on not just a band performance, but 50 percent of what you’re doing is going to be the projection, or whatever you call that, the outer wall, what you’re putting on as content.”

Slash said he could imagine a band like Metallica successfully embracing the Sphere’s hybrid approach, noting their history of staging large-scale, conceptual tours. “I’d be interested to see that too,” he said. “I could see them doing it.”

For Guns N’ Roses, however, the emphasis remains on guitars, sweat, and spontaneity rather than synchronized visuals. The group’s concerts, stretching across stadiums and festivals since their 2016 reunion, are built on raw performance rather than elaborate multimedia staging.

“It’s something that’s gonna be the main focus of your show and the main focus of what everybody’s gonna be looking at,” Slash said. “You have to sort of get into that mindset, and I think that’s hard for us to go that far into it.”

Despite his reservations, Slash didn’t shut the door entirely. “We’ll see,” he said. “Maybe down the road.”

For now, Guns N’ Roses’ global reunion tour shows no signs of slowing, while the Sphere continues its steady rotation of legacy acts. Earlier this month, the venue confirmed that No Doubt will reunite for a 12-show run in May 2026.