No Beyoncé at the Sphere: CEO Addresses Rumors After ‘Cowboy Carter’ Cease and Desist
During her “Cowboy Carter” world tour, Beyoncé featured a striking visual interlude in which a giant version of herself, complete with cowboy attire, strode across the Las Vegas skyline, bent down, and lifted the iconic Sphere venue in her hands. The use of the Sphere, especially in such an exaggerated, giant-scale context, spurred speculation among fans that Beyoncé might be planning a residency there. So, will fans get to see Beyoncé in the epic Vegas venue? Here’s what the CEO recently said about the R&B queen as well as Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has no current plans to play in the Sphere, the CEO says
Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” tour faced unexpected legal hurdles after Sphere Entertainment Group issued a cease-and-desist letter to her production company, Parkwood Entertainment. The controversy stemmed from a video interlude where a digitally enhanced Beyoncé appeared to pick up the Las Vegas Sphere venue. Sphere Entertainment, led by CEO James Dolan, claimed the imagery was used without permission, leading to the legal action. This incident followed failed negotiations between Beyoncé and the Sphere over a residency deal, reportedly due to disagreements over rehearsal time and production costs. In response, Beyoncé’s team swiftly replaced the controversial visuals with footage of Allegiant Stadium.
Dolan recently spoke about whether Beyoncé has any plans to perform at the Sphere in the future. Sadly, fans will have to wait to see the “Cowboy Carter” star in the venue.
“No, not in discussions with either one,” Dolan said regarding Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, according to the Associated Press. “We think they’re both, of course, fabulous artists, but we have quite a long list of people who, you know, of artists who want to play the Sphere. And it’s just not in their plans.”
Dolan noted that “eventually,” he believes they may see Swift or Beyoncé in the venue. “Or, we’ll build another Sphere for them to play.”
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