Brian May is openly flirting with the idea of a Queen residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and the legendary guitarist sounds genuinely excited by what the band could create there.
At 78, May admits that the allure of traditional touring has dimmed. Decades of waking up disoriented in hotel rooms, separated from family and unable to respond when life happens back home, have left their mark. But the desire to innovate, perform, and push boundaries is still alive, and the Sphere might be the perfect answer.
“I’m very keen on the Sphere,” May told Rolling Stone. “It’s got my mind working. I sat there watching the Eagles, thinking, ‘We should do this. The stuff that we could bring to this would be stupendous.’ So, yeah, I would like to do it. We’re having conversations.”
The Sphere, with its colossal wraparound LED display, 10,000-seat capacity, and unparalleled sound system, is already redefining live performance. And May sees enormous potential in pairing that cutting-edge technology with Queen’s theatricality.
Crucially, a residency also means no more grueling travel schedules. “I’ve had 50 years of touring and there’s a part of me that thinks it’s enough,” he admitted. “I don’t like the idea that you wake up in your hotel room and you’re trapped. I had a few experiences recently where stuff happened at home with my family and I could not go home. It got under my skin and I just thought, ‘I’m not sure if I want this anymore.’”
Instead of another farewell tour, which May dismissed with characteristic honesty (“It never is, is it?”), a Sphere run would allow Queen + Adam Lambert to evolve without compromise. “I still want to play shows. I still want to innovate,” he said. “I don’t think we’re done.”
There’s even the possibility of fresh music emerging from this chapter. “Not many people know,” May revealed, “but Adam and we have been in the studio trying things. Nothing really materialised so far. Some things are meant to be and some things are not.”
If those conversations lead to reality, Queen’s next act might not just be another run of shows, it could be a spectacle that reimagines what a live rock performance can be.
