Bon Jovi: Why They Declined Sphere Residency Offer

Bon Jovi is one of the biggest concert draws and has been for a number of years. Considering that, it isn't surprising the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band was offered a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. What is surprising is that the band turned the offer down.

Frontman Jon Bon Jovi shared that detail in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. JBJ said the band was asked to be the second band after U2 to perform a residency at the new venue. The singer said he was at the opening night of U2's residency and was in awe of the Sphere's technology and scope.

However, Bon Jovi expressed uncertainty about how long it would take to develop a Sphere show and what a Bon Jovi inside the Sphere would even look like. This appears to be a large part of why the band turned down the residency offer.

He said, "I was there on opening night, and, of course, that's the first thing that goes through your mind, 'How would I present this?' ... I don't see, necessarily, how I could pull that one off."

With U2's residency officially in the books, Phish will be the next band to perform at The Sphere. Their show dates are currently April 18-21. After Phish, Dead & Company's "Dead Forever" residency will begin on May 16 and include the following dates.

-May 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 30 and 31.
-June 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22.

After Dead & Company, it's unknown who will have the next Sphere residency. However, rumors surfaced last week that The Eagles could be next. The band is in talks for a Sphere residency, but a deal has yet to be finalized.

The Eagles, of course, are currently in the middle of their farewell tour, which is appropriately called "The Long Goodbye." The band announced their farewell tour in July 2023. They confirmed the tour is "currently in the planning stages" and will be rolling out dates and venues once they are confirmed.

As of publishing, there is no set end date for the tour.