The Las Vegas Sphere is known for its exterior’s animated visuals.
Now it’s outside is also known for an activist climbing the of $2.3 billion venue with Super Bowl LVIII in town this week.
Maison DesChamps, who goes by “prolife.spiderman” on social media, used his daring climb to raise money and awareness for a homeless, pregnant woman.
The anti-abortion activist also earned a trip downtown as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrested him on Wednesday morning after he reached the top of the 366-foot-tall Sphere, according to Channel 13 KTNV in Las Vegas.
“We are grateful to the local authorities for their support in this matter. The individuals involved are currently in the custody of LVMPD," a Sphere Entertainment spokesperson told Covers.
Onlookers crowded the streets to watch DesChamps scale the Sphere as police shut down local traffic around the area of the venue, which is located at 255 Sands Ave. until he was apprehended by authorities. Multiple people were detained.
How did he get up there?
It’s believed that DesChamps worked his way up the 516-foot-wide wall by climbing on some of the 1.2 million 8-inch pucks that make up the LED screen.
DesChamps posted his climb on Instagram, tipping off the police and local news stations.
"As we sit here today, there's an individual — for a publicity stunt — that just tried to climb to the top of the Sphere," Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a Super Bowl security briefing. "Your first responders are all over there; they're taking care of it.”
With visitors from around the world in Las Vegas and all eyes on the city heading into Sunday’s Big Game, McMahill said authorities are prepared for such instances.
“We know these things are going to happen. We're going to deal with them as they come up and make sure we have the safest Super Bowl we've ever had."
Not his first time
DesChamps has done this before, including in Las Vegas. The activist scaled the outside of Aria Hotel and Casino in 2021 to protest against the Silver State’s COVID-19 health and safety orders.
DesChamps also climbed the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco.
Immersive venue
The Sphere was announced and broke ground in 2018. The Madison Square Garden Company-owned project opened on Sept. 29, 2023, kicking off a month-long residency for the band U2.
The most expensive entertainment venue in Las Vegas was built to host a variety of shows and concerts at the 18,000-seat venue. The Sphere offers a 16K, 250-foot-tall, 410-foot-wide curved screen inside.
The outside LED displays have promoted the NFL and NBA since its opening.
The Sphere took a $98.4 million loss in the final quarter of the 2023 fiscal year due to high operating costs before events were held.
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