What to know about Queen and the Sphere
- Sphere plans: Brian May says a Queen residency at the Las Vegas venue is not imminent.
- Show concept: May has a 360-degree music experience in mind, but says the idea is progressing slowly.
- Touring plans: May is enjoying a break and does not expect to commit to another nine-month tour.
- Future possibility: May has not ruled out returning to the road one day.
Queen Sphere rumors remain unconfirmed: this article explains Brian May’s comments on a possible Las Vegas show and the band’s touring future.
Brian May says a Queen residency at the Sphere is not imminent, though he has a concept for a distinct 360-degree music experience. His comments also clarify that he is enjoying a break from touring rather than ruling out every future performance.
Brian May’s comments indicate that the Sphere idea remains under consideration, while his current break gives him time for family, personal projects, astrophysics and animal welfare work.
Sphere plans: May told Rolling Stone that he does not know where discussions stand, and that circumstances can change quickly.
Queen Sphere plans have no confirmed timetable, according to May’s remarks.
For more than a year, fans and observers have suggested Queen could suit the Sphere, a state-of-the-art venue in Las Vegas. Comments from May and bandmate Roger Taylor have fueled speculation, but May stressed in a recent conversation with Rolling Stone that nothing is imminent.
“I don’t know what to tell you about that,” May remarked when asked about the possibility of a Queen Sphere show. “I don’t even know where we are on that. I really don’t. Things change so fast.”
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May said he remains interested in a 360-degree surround environment for music, potentially shaped as a retrospective of Queen’s history. He said the idea would differ from ABBA’s show and that the band is not making rapid progress on it.
“I’m still very much caught up with the idea of this 360-degree surround environment for music, and particularly for us in some kind of retrospective,” May continued. “It wouldn’t be like the ABBA thing. Everybody says, ‘Oh, you’re gonna do what ABBA did.’ But no, it would be something different from that, because we have a different history and a different path or whatever. And I still have a template in my head of what we could do, but I don’t think we’re progressing very fast on it for various other reasons.”
What has Brian May said about Queen’s future tours?
May says he is enjoying a break from touring and does not expect to commit to another nine-month tour. He has not ruled out the possibility of returning to the road in the future.
Brian May’s touring plans currently center on a break, not a firm commitment to tour again.
May recently drew attention after saying Queen was done touring, a statement he later clarified by saying he had been misquoted. In his latest conversation with Rolling Stone, he said the break gives him freedom to pursue activities he had little time for while on the road.
“I feel like I’m on a break, and I’m enjoying my break, and I’m getting to do all the things which I dreamed of doing when there was no time all those years on the road,” he explained. “So I’m getting to see my kids, I’m getting to see my grandchildren, getting to do a lot of projects on the side which I’ve dreamed of doing. I get to do more astrophysics. I get to do more animal welfare and animal campaigning work. And all round, it’s been a good decision for me so far.”
May’s break lets him spend time with his children and grandchildren and pursue side projects, astrophysics and animal welfare campaigning.
READ MORE: Queen’s 10 Most Underrated Songs
“Maybe one day I’m gonna wake up and think, ‘Ah, maybe we should get out on the road,’” the rocker conceded. “But I don’t think I will be committing to nine-month-long tours again.”
Queen touring could happen again, but May said he does not expect to undertake another tour lasting nine months.
The 40th anniversary edition of the concert film Queen: Budapest was recently released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Queen: Budapest is a concert film whose 40th anniversary edition was released on DVD and Blu-ray.
What are Queen’s live albums ranked?
Queen’s live albums capture the band’s blend of power pop, rock, opera and metal, alongside its theatrical concert performances.
Queen’s live albums bring the band’s studio mix of power pop, rock, opera and metal to the stage.
Queen combined power pop, rock, opera and metal in the studio, then performed that mix with theatrical staging in concert.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
What has Brian May said about a Queen Sphere show?
May said he does not know where the idea stands and that a show is not imminent. He has imagined a 360-degree retrospective that would differ from ABBA’s production.
Brian May has not confirmed a Queen Sphere show.
May’s comments leave the concept open but provide no confirmed plan or schedule.
Is Queen planning to tour again?
May has not ruled out a future return to the road, but says he does not expect to commit to another nine-month tour. He is currently enjoying a break.
Queen touring has no confirmed return date in May’s remarks.
May described time with family and personal pursuits as benefits of his current break.
What is different about May’s Sphere idea?
May described a possible 360-degree surround environment and retrospective based on Queen’s history. He said the concept would not be like ABBA’s show.
May’s Sphere concept is a proposed Queen retrospective in a 360-degree environment.
The idea remains a concept, and May said progress has been slow.
