Oprah Winfrey is so wound up about her upcoming Sphere show that she cannot sleep, according to her longtime friend and CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King. The two-hour production, titled “AHA,” is set to debut at the Las Vegas venue for four performances across the weekend of April 2, 3 and 4, 2027.
King made the comments while in Las Vegas for the fourth annual Paid in Full Foundation Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards, which took place Saturday at Bellagio, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. King said Winfrey is so excited about “AHA” that she cannot sleep. The Paid in Full gala honored hip-hop figures Kurtis Blow, Ralph McDaniels, The D.O.C. and Nile Rodgers of Chic.
A Dream Born at U2's Sphere Debut
Winfrey has said the idea for “AHA” first struck her while she sat in awe watching U2's opening-night performance at Sphere. Per Sphere Entertainment, Winfrey described the moment as a dream that came to her at that show. King and Winfrey saw that U2 performance together in September 2023, according to the Review-Journal's reporting.
Winfrey has described “AHA” as a visual, immersive experience into nature, awe and wonder, as she told NPR. Sphere Entertainment's announcement frames the show as a journey of light, sound, music, storytelling, nature and shared humanity, a description echoed by Variety.
Who's Building the Show
The production is led by producer Baz Halpin. Variety reports that Max Richter serves as musical director while Ethan Tobman directs, with Tarell Alvin McCraney credited as writer. Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Tara Montgomery are listed as executive producers on the project.
During the two-hour show, Winfrey will appear live on stage alongside guests including seven-time Grammy winner Jacob Collier, poet and author Ocean Vuong, musician Ajeet and gospel singer Wintley Phipps, among others, Sphere Entertainment said in its announcement. Collier is also a multi-instrumentalist. The production will lean on Sphere's next-generation technologies, including what the venue calls the world's highest-resolution LED display.
Tickets and Travel Packages
Tickets for “AHA” start at $145, with general on-sale that began September 25 at 10 a.m. Pacific time, according to Sphere Entertainment. Vibee, the official hotel-experience partner, is offering packages that include a two-night stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, which connects to Sphere, paired with a choice of general-admission floor access or a reserved seat.
