5 Unforgettable Moments From Anyma’s Historic Vegas Sphere Residency

In a city renowned for its obsession with outdoing itself, it's only fitting that the first electronic act to headline the futuristic Vegas Sphere would debut in truly jaw-dropping fashion.

Over the 2024 holiday season, Anyma delivered against even the loftiest of expectations, unveiling "The End of Genesys" in a breathtaking fusion of music and transhumanist art. Engulfed by the world's largest wraparound LED screen, he orchestrated a performance that felt less like a traditional dance music concert and more like a sci-fi opera set to the cinematic pulse of techno.

From the moment his colossal robot visuals smashed through the digital "fourth wall," it was clear that Anyma didn't just just aim to dazzle spectators in the immediate moment—he sought to present an entirely new vision for what the future of electronic music performance could become.

We were in the Sphere for both the opener of Anyma's historic residency as well as its climax: the New Year's Eve show. Read on to discover some of the most extraordinary revelations and moments from "The End Of Genesys," which is set to wrap up with shows January 10-11, 2025.

Sphere's inner skyline: A fitting NYE countdown

As the final seconds of 2024 ticked away, the Sphere transformed into a canvas for one of the most unforgettable moments in its short but storied history. Anyma's iconic Afterlife humanoid burst through a wall of shimmering, digital glass—not into its usual abstract dimension, but instead revealing the real-life Las Vegas skyline in stunning hyper-reality.

For a brief moment, it felt as though the Sphere’s dome had simply vanished, leaving the crowd exposed to the city’s glowing horizon. Fireworks ignited in perfect synchronization, flooding dazzling reflections across the venue's sprawling screen and the faces of the awestruck audience. It was a celebration of innovation, a moment where Anyma’s vision, the Sphere's bleeding-edge technology and the feel-good energy of the holiday season all contributed to a spectacle that could only be described as transcendent.

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A symphony of robots and strings

There’s a reason Anyma refers to his Sphere show as "a cybernetic opera." From the floor of the venue, a dual set of robot cellists flanked the artist, bringing the show's epic melodies to life. Each stroke of the bow became a meditation on transhumanism, a central theme in the Afterlife storyline.

As the spectral tones intertwined with the steady pulse of techno kickdrums, the stage transformed into a shrine for the coexistence of humanity and technology. In the moment, Anyma and his mechanical counterparts seemingly merged into a single entity, reflecting the expanded potential unlocked when human creativity fuses with the technological tools of the future.

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Virtual avatars redefine stage presence

In "The End of Genesys," Anyma challenges the perception of what it means to be "present" onstage. Ellie Goulding’s likeness appears in a larger-than-life digital form, her face fragmenting and reassembling in time, synced to a haunting unreleased collaboration the two powerhouse artists have in the works called "Hypnotized." Though she was only physically present on opening night, her virtual presence at the venue is so vivid and immersive that it feels as though she's commanding the stage in real-time.

Anyma himself also became part of the digital evolution, briefly morphing into a virtual avatar of his own within the Afterlife storyline. During a stunning performance of "Human Now," an unreleased collaboration with Empire of the Sun, an android transforms into the Italian superstar—tattoos and all—with stunning clarity.

This pioneering integration of virtual and physical likenesses points to an emerging new frontier in live performance, one where avatars enhance, expand and redefine the boundaries of performative art.

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The continuity of crowd energy

While the Sphere's groundbreaking visuals and Anyma's meticulously crafted performance were undeniable highlights, the energy of the crowd added its own irreplaceable dimension to the experience. That was partly due to the venue’s haptic feedback elements, including seats that vibrate in alignment with the onscreen action.

Such design elements collectively created a unique sense of physical connection between the audience and the performance that's not often felt at large-scale venues. It was as though the audience members were plugged directly into Anyma’s cybernetic universe, but even so, many still felt inclined to get on their feet and dance. 

Regardless of how one chooses to enjoy the show, the crowd’s energy is palpable, with people audibly erupting in collective awe as the high-stakes production unfolded around them.

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The full-circle finale: Man and machine become one

As the show draws to a suspenseful close, the spoken-word lyrics of "Eternity" ring into the void, tying the present pinnacle moment in the saga of Afterlife back to the brand's earliest origins. It's poetic, almost cyclical: "Eternity" and its associated humanoid robot visuals were the sparks that turned Afterlife into a bona fide global phenomenon, and now they served as the emotional anchor for the show's climactic conclusion.

By returning to the very concept that first connected audiences with his vision, Anyma reminded us that even in the vastness of his cosmic carnival, there's a distinctly human vision and intuition that continues to bring it all to life.