LAS VEGAS, Nev. — It looked like a typical U2 outdoor concert: Two helicopters zoomed through the starlit sky before producing spotlights over a Las Vegas desert and frontman Bono, who kneeled to the ground while singing the band’s 2004 hit “Vertigo.”

This scene may seem customary, but the visuals were created by floor-to-ceiling graphics inside the immersive Sphere. It was one of several impressive moments during U2’s UV Achtung Baby residency launch show at the high-tech, globe-shaped venue, which opened for the first time Friday night.

The legendary rock band, which has won 22 Grammy Awards, performed for two hours inside the massive, state-of-theart spherical venue. Throughout the night, a plethora of attractive visuals — including kaleidoscope images, a burning flag and Las Vegas’ skyline, took the more than 18,000 attendees on U2’s epic musical journey.

“What a fancy pad,” said Bono, who was accompanied onstage by guitarists The Edge and Adam Clayton along with drummer Bram van den Berg. He then stared at the high-resolution LED screen that projected a larger version of himself along with a few praying hands and bells.

Bono then paid homage to Elvis Presley, who was a Las Vegas entertainment staple. The band has rocked in the city as far back as 1987, when the music video for “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was filmed on the Las Vegas Strip.

U2 made its presence felt at the $2.3 billion Sphere, which stands 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide.

With superb visual effects, the band’s 25-show residency opened with a splash, including “Mysterious Ways,” “Zoo Station,” “All I Want is You,” “Desire” and “Atomic City.”

After wrapping up The Beatles’ jam “Love Me Do,” Bono recognized Paul McCartney, who was in attendance, saying “Macca is in the house tonight.”

He acknowledged Sphere owner James Dolan’s efforts for spearheading a venue that’s pushing forward the live concert audio landscape with 160,000 high-quality speakers and 260 million video pixels.

The Sphere is the brainchild of Dolan, the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden, and owner of the NBA’s New York Knicks and NHL’s New York Rangers.

The U2 frontman pointed into the crowd frequently and at one point shouted out to rappers Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Bono became emotional when he dedicated a song to the late Jimmy Buffett’s family, who were also in attendance.

Afterward Bono spoke about performing onstage for the first time without drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who is recovering from back surgery. He acknowledged Dutch drummer Bram van den Berg’s birthday.

“I would like to introduce you to the only man who could stand, well, sit in his shoes,” said Bono, who walked toward Berg as some in the crowd began to sing “Happy Birthday.” He handed the microphone to Berg, who offered a few words.

“Let there be no mistake, there is only one Larry Mullen Jr.,” Berg said.

As U2 wrapped up the show, a bright light shone from the ceiling and the massive screen began to fill with images of birds, insects and reptiles above a lake. The band closed its first Sphere concert with “Beautiful Day,” which won three Grammys in 2001.