Phish's Nine-Night Sphere Residency Kicks Off with Debut of Real-Time Creative, Powered by Moment Factory

	This year's production introduces a virtual light rig -- a real-time engine that replicates the dynamics of a physical light show directly on Sphere's immersive media plane.

Phish, Moment Factory, and Sphere Studios unveiled a series of real-time innovations last weekend during the first round of the band's highly anticipated return to Sphere. For nine nights, Sphere becomes a living testament to Phish and their fans, with real-time visuals that mirror the band's improvisational style. Leveraging the screen's 16K resolution, Moment Factory developed distinct visual concepts, made possible with Sphere Studios' technologies, that blend a vast array of art styles to transform the space, from iridescent spiderwebs and bubblegum worlds to a hot-dog spaceship odyssey, each adapted in real-time to the band's evolving setlist.

To anchor the residency in the roots of the band, Sphere Studios captured pieces of Phish history with its Big Sky camera system which was custom built to create content for the immersive venue's 160,000 sq. ft. media plane. Last September, Moment Factory and Sphere Studios production crews traveled to Burlington, Vermont, for four nights at the band's studio, The Barn. Capturing both the interior and exterior of the studio in high resolution, the footage transports concertgoers into the band's creative sanctuary.

For over 40 years, the soul-stirring energy of Phish's light show has been considered a core component of the band's live experience. This year's production introduces a virtual light rig -- a real-time engine that replicates the dynamics of a physical light show directly on Sphere's immersive media plane. Harnessing Sphere's technology, Moment Factory, in collaboration with Sphere Studios and creative agency Myreze, designed the virtual light rig to preserve and amplify this familiar fan experience. This agile infrastructure bypasses native engine limitations, allowing the band's longtime lighting designer, Chris Kuroda, to command more than 7,000 virtual DMX lights with the same organic, improvisational fluidity as his physical rig.

"Returning to Sphere, it felt very natural to keep building with Moment Factory," says Jason Colton, co-manager for Phish. "They've been a key creative partner since Phish's Magnaball festival, and they've always approached things with a real sense of restless imagination while breaking new ground. Ten projects in, Moment Factory is still helping the band stretch in ways that feel true to them."

"It's a true privilege to be back at Sphere with Phish. Our creative collaboration, spanning more than a decade, consistently inspires us to see further and dream bigger," says Daniel Jean, producer at Moment Factory. "While many believed the virtual light rig at this scale was not doable, we brought it to life alongside the team at Sphere Studios on one of the biggest LED screens on the planet. Seeing the spark in Phish fans' eyes during the first weekend of the residency, we knew we had captured something truly unique that honors the band's legacy."

"Phish has always embraced improvisation, allowing Sphere Studios to respond with equal creative agility," says Carolyn Blackwood, head of Sphere Studios. "Seeing Phish and Moment Factory realize their vision through Sphere's advanced technologies is an exciting moment for the future of immersive entertainment."

For more information, visit phish.com.