Wizard of Oz at Sphere Adds Animatronic Monkeys, New 4D Effects
Animatronic Winged Monkeys, scented apples, and "Glinda Glitter" hit Sphere's Wizard of Oz on Sept 25, 2026. Tickets on sale through 2027.
Published · 3 min read
Sphere is retrofitting "The Wizard of Oz" mid-run with real hardware: animatronic Winged Monkeys that actually move instead of just projecting across the dome, scented apples, pyrotechnics, and a mystery "Glinda Glitter" effect. The upgrades land September 25, 2026, and tickets are already on sale through early 2027, one of the longest single-title bookings the Strip has seen. Here's what's changing and why Sphere is doubling down on physical effects over pure projection.
Quick Facts
- What: “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere,” new and expanded 4D effects
- When: New effects debut Friday, September 25, 2026; tickets on sale now through early 2027
- Where: Sphere, Las Vegas
- Tickets: On sale now at thesphere.com; multiple showtimes daily
- Worth knowing: New effects include animatronic Winged Monkeys, themed scents, “Glinda Glitter,” pyrotechnics and scented apples added to the existing 4D package
The show opened at Sphere in August 2025 and has run with 4D effects from day one, the tornado sequence that drops Dorothy on the yellow brick road, apples falling out of the sky, monkeys already in the mix. What’s changing September 25 is the mechanics behind some of those beats. The monkeys move on their own now instead of relying purely on screen-driven illusion. That’s a real production build, not a software patch, and it’s the kind of upgrade that costs real money to retrofit into a show already running eight-plus times a day.
Jennifer Koester, Sphere’s president and chief operating officer, said the goal is pushing “immersive storytelling” further into the Oz material. Fine, that’s the line every venue exec says about every upgrade. What matters is whether guests notice the difference between a monkey that swoops on a screen and one that’s actually rigged to move in the room. My guess: they will. Physical motion reads different than projection, even at Sphere’s resolution, and Sphere knows that or they wouldn’t have spent the money mid-run.
Who's Behind the Build
Sphere Studios built this one with Warner Bros. Discovery, Google, and Magnopus, the same production alliance credited since the original 2025 debut. Nobody new got added for the 4D expansion, at least not that Sphere is naming. That tracks. This is an incremental build on existing IP and existing tech, not a full remount.
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live, Sphere’s other resident production, ran through 2024 into 2025 and leaned almost entirely on the exosphere and interior screen work rather than physical effects. Oz has always been the more effects-heavy sibling, with scent and wind and seat haptics baked in from the start. Adding animatronics and pyro widens that gap. If Sphere is building a house style, it’s leaning further away from the pure-visual approach and further into stuff you can smell, feel, or get hit by glitter from.
Booked Through Early 2027
Sphere is selling tickets for Oz through the beginning of 2027, roughly a year and a half of consecutive runtime for a single title in the same 18,600-seat room. That's unusual programming even by residency standards on the Strip. Adele ran two years at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and that’s considered a marathon booking. Oz at this pace, refreshed with new hardware mid-run instead of retired and replaced, suggests Sphere sees more value in upgrading the existing show than swapping in something new.
Tickets are sold through thesphere.com with multiple showtimes daily. Sphere hasn’t published a price breakdown for the September 25 rollout specifically, and there's no indication the effects upgrade comes with a price change from what the show has been running at.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the new 4D effects debut at The Wizard of Oz at Sphere?
Friday, September 25, 2026, according to Sphere Entertainment Co.
What new effects are being added?
Animatronic Winged Monkeys, themed scents, a glitter effect tied to Glinda’s entrance, pyrotechnic fireworks, and scented apples, on top of the show’s existing 4D package.
Are tickets available for shows after September 25?
Yes. Sphere has tickets on sale now through the beginning of 2027 at thesphere.com.
Who produced The Wizard of Oz at Sphere?
Sphere Studios, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, Google, and Magnopus.
When did The Wizard of Oz at Sphere originally open?
August 2025.
