Sleepy, spooky, and cozy: The many faces of Las Vegas’ Sphere in 2024
When the Sphere first lit up the Las Vegas skyline on July 4, 2023, it brought with it the city’s newest (and cutest) mascot.
We are, of course, talking about Sphere’s emoji guy.
Emoji guy, also known as “Orbi,” first graced the Exosphere in mid-September 2023, shortly before Sphere was opened to the public with a smashing performance by Irish rock band U2.
The Exosphere, where Orbi lives, is the largest LED screen on Earth, consisting of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes.
For the past year and a half, Orbi has taken the world (and social media) by storm by braving the Las Vegas heat, getting dressed up for holidays, and even joining in on special events in the city, such as the Formula 1 races in 2023 and 2024.
As Orbi moves into his third year of life, let’s look back at the many faces he has adopted over his first full year as a resident on the Las Vegas Strip.
He’s been sleepy
Orbi could often be seen taking a snooze during the early morning hours in the “City That Never Sleeps.” He’s been caught catching quite a few Zs, which is impressive given the sights and sounds of the city. If you spot him taking a quick nap, make sure you leave him to slumber in peace. He needs all the sleep he can get, living on the Las Vegas Strip!
He’s been fast
As Formula 1 raced into Las Vegas in November 2023, Orbi, like other Sin City racing fans, got decked out for the event. Orbi had the best seat with the best view during the races as drivers whipped around him while he watched, adorned with his own driver helmet. He may not have won any races, but he’s definitely a winner in our hearts.
He voted
Like most Las Vegas residents, Orbi had quite a busy November. Orbi decided to do his civic duty and voted in the 2024 election. Like many other Americans, Orbi showed off his "I Voted" sticker to the world by proudly posing with it stuck to his face.
He's been excited
Have you ever been so excited that you feel like you could explode? Yeah, Orbi too. Earlier in the year, he showed off his excitement by literally exploding into dozens of tinier emojis. We get it, Orbi, we've all been there.
He’s been hot
The summer of 2024 was the hottest ever recorded for Las Vegas and it was definitely felt by residents. Some of us may have felt like we were melting during the record-breaking 120-degree weather. In Orbi's case, as seen above, the melting was literal.
He’s been cool
On the flip side, Orbi also spent some time this summer working on his tan. Unfortunately, Orbi forgot the one rule of tanning your face is to avoid tanning lines! He wore his sunglasses during the tanning session and ended up with an outline around his eyes. Who knew emojis could get a tan line?
He’s been cozy
Although Las Vegas does not often see snow, during winter months, Orbi could be spotted donning his most festive sweater, complete with snowman decor, as he tries to catch snowflakes on his outstretched tongue. The sweater looked great Orbi!
He’s been spooky
On Halloween, Orbi got dressed up as a spooky vampire, complete with two long fangs as part of Sphere's Halloween show, the "Sphere of Fear." To add to the spookiness of the season, Orbi pulls out a flashlight in order to create the vibe of telling scary stories around a campfire. It made for a frightening sight!
He celebrated
At the end of 2023, to usher in the new year, Orbi was spotted adorned with themed glasses as fireworks filled the night above the Las Vegas skyline. His eyes sparkled as he watched the show from the best seat in the house. We imagine Orbi will don similar glasses on New Year's Eve in order to welcome the city into 2025.