“It's an Emotional Experience”: Kenny Chesney Gets Candid About the Highs and Lows of Playing Sphere Las Vegas
By Maxim Mower
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Kenny Chesney has stopped by Rob Lowe's Literally! podcast to delve into his 2026 Sphere Las Vegas shows, his new book, HEART*LIFE*MUSIC, and their mutual love of sports.
After discussing Chesney's celebrated 2010 NFL documentary, The Boys of Fall, the duo get onto the ‘I Go Back’ hitmaker's 2025 Sphere residency. The wildly popular run saw Chesney become the first country artist in history to headline the immersive venue, with Zac Brown Band following in his footsteps in December.
Chesney emphasises throughout that performing at the Sphere gave him a new lease of life, as well as a sense of freedom when it came to the visuals and presentation of his set. The Knoxville native also admits there were moments where he felt “completely lost”, because of the unique challenges presented by the futuristic venue.
“What was great about playing Sphere, for me, is we had been doing a specific thing for a lot of years”, Chesney muses, “We've been playing stadiums since 2005, so we know how to prepare for that. When we go into rehearsal in February, we start late March or early April, and we know how to prepare for that. But Sphere...forced us to create different neural pathways to get ready to do a show”.
He expands, “This was something completely different. I mean, the sound is unbelievable, and it comes over you. The video is not just behind you on the side - it's above you, it's in front of you...I went to see the Eagles and I went to see Dead & Company there before we did our first show, because I just wanted to know what it was like to be in the audience. It's the most immersive experience. People that have been listening to my music for a long time come to Sphere, and they're going to experience the same songs in a completely different state of consciousness. It is unbelievable”. Chesney playfully adds that it's reminiscent of a herbal experience, “It's like being on a plant medicine journey! It's great”.
The ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ crooner stresses that there's an inherent emotionality to Sphere, because attendees have all of their senses bombarded from start to finish.
Chesney reflects, “You're almost like, ‘Wow, this is how life should be every day’...It's emotional in nature to sit and watch a show there, no matter what you watch - whether it's the film they play during the day, or you go see us, or you go see the Eagles, or whatever. Just...go see something, because it is an emotional experience”.
Later in their discussion, the five-time CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year admits that he faced some difficulties during his first few shows at Sphere Las Vegas, courtesy of the dazzling - and distracting - visuals that wrap around the stage and audience.
Chesney recalls, “I'm used to the stuff going on behind me, but up here and in front of me and over here in your peripheral - it's so visual...I was so distracted on the first night, that I was completely lost in the middle of my own song. I forgot the words...and I admitted it to the audience. I went, ‘Okay, help me, because I'm lost’”.
He underlines that, ultimately, it helped foster a stronger connection with his crowd, “It was kind of a bonding moment, in a way. And I said, ‘Isn't this great?’ They helped me out...I think that my mojo for years on stage is connection. My band is incredible...It's all energy and it's all raw emotion, and it's the idea of me looking at the audience, them looking at me and us connecting and saying, ‘Okay, we're gonna make love tonight’...But the connection has to be there for both of us. It took me a minute when I played Sphere because I was there looking at them, but it's almost impossible at first for them to look at you and meet you halfway, because they're looking straight at the screen...I had to get used to that for a minute. And by about song four or five, I had captured their attention back”.
Chesney returns to Sphere this June, with fans keenly looking forward to seeing the country titan bringing his sun-soaked, island-inspired catalogue of joyful anthems back to Nevada. Following a star-studded cast of special guests last year, including Kelsea Ballerini, Megan Moroney, Old Dominion and many more, we can't wait to see which on-stage collaborations Chesney has up his sleeve this summer...
Watch the full interview below:
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