Fifteen years after ending “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in Chicago, the media mogul is returning to deliver more engaging conversations and “aha” moments in front of an audience outside of the Midwest.
She will bring “Oprah Winfrey’s Aha” to Sphere in Las Vegas April 2-4, 2027. The venture is not a televised talk show but an “immersive” live experience, featuring music, storytelling and more, according to an announcement on Sphere’s website. The two-hour event promises a unique presentation of light and sound, taking advantage of the venue’s globe-shaped space, 580,000-square-foot LED exterior, and the 160,000-square-foot, wraparound LED display inside.
Special guests include singer-songwriter Jacob Collier, poet and author Ocean Vuong, musician Ajeet and gospel singer Wintley Phipps.
“‘Aha’ is a dream that came to me as I sat in awe at the opening night of U2 at the Sphere, mesmerized by the possibilities of how the space could be used as a tool for creating greater awareness and understanding of ourselves and our connection to each other,” Winfrey said in a news release.
The show’s musical direction will be guided by composer Max Richter, musician and vocal director Jason White, and electronic artist and producer Jon Hopkins. Oscar-winning “Moonlight” screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney, who has premiered work at Chicago’s Steppenwolf, will help write the show, while artist Es Devlin and the Plum Village Monks will contribute original works.
Tickets start at $145 and go on sale Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Prospective attendees can sign up for a presale and view travel packages at ahalive.com.
Oprah began her career in Chicago in 1984 on WLS-Channel 7’s morning talk show, “A.M. Chicago.” It was renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1985 and taped at Harpo Studios on the Near West Side from 1990 to 2011.