EPS Delivers Signature Effects for The Wizard of Oz at Sphere Las Vegas

From falling apples to a life-size hot air balloon, Entertainment Project Services brings immersive magic to the world’s most advanced venue

Las Vegas, NV – The Sphere in Las Vegas has already redefined what is possible in live entertainment. With its 360-degree visuals, layered sound technology, and massive scale, it stands as one of the most ambitious venues ever built. Now, The Wizard of Oz has been reimagined for this iconic space, giving audiences a cinematic and theatrical experience like no other. Beyond the film itself, the production features pre- and post-show activations that immerse guests in both Kansas and Oz, with EPS tapped to design and deliver two of the most memorable technical moments of the journey.

The Apple Gag: Breathing Life into a Classic Scene

One of the most beloved sequences in The Wizard of Oz is the moment when the Scarecrow shakes the apple tree and the orchard comes alive. For the Sphere adaptation, the creative team wanted to expand this moment into the audience’s world. Rather than just watching apples fall on screen, guests inside the Sphere experience apples tumbling directly from the ceiling into the theater.

The challenge, of course, was scale and precision. EPS was tasked with creating machines capable of dropping hundreds of foam apples from the apex of the Sphere in a way that felt organic to the scene, safe for the audience, and repeatable for multiple shows a day. Their engineering solution combined mechanical reliability with theatrical timing, ensuring that when the Scarecrow tugs on the tree, apples rain down on the crowd with perfect synchronization.

The gag has since become one of the show’s standout moments. The apples themselves quickly turned into coveted souvenirs, sparking such demand that early attendees were reselling them for several hundred dollars online.

The Wizard’s Hot Air Balloon: Transforming the Lobby in Minutes

The experience does not end when the credits roll. Audiences leaving the theater step into a transformed lobby that shifts from the black-and-white aesthetic of Kansas into the vibrant palette of Oz. The centerpiece of this reveal is a life-size hot air balloon, an iconic symbol of Emerald City and one of the film’s most memorable images.

The Sphere’s lobby is vast enough to accommodate a hot air balloon of true scale, but the operational demands made the effect especially complex. With multiple shows staged daily, the hot air balloon had to be able to load in and out within minutes, leaving little to no trace when absent. EPS engineered a custom rigging solution that allowed the hot air balloon to deploy rapidly, suspend securely, and disappear just as quickly, all while leaving the lobby pristine for the next reset.

In addition to the hot air balloon, EPS also delivered another key visual element for the lobby transformation: a massive LED wall built from fans, providing a dynamic and constantly shifting scenic layer. This feature anchors both the Kansas and Emerald City looks, adding depth and movement that carries guests seamlessly from one world into another.

A New Standard for Immersive Storytelling

Together, these activations highlight EPS’s ability to marry storytelling with engineering. The falling apples demonstrate how a clever practical effect can amplify a beloved cinematic moment, while the Wizard’s hot air balloon shows how engineering innovation can transform a venue in real time without disrupting operations. Both effects have become signature touchpoints of the Sphere’s Wizard of Oz experience. Guests leave not only having watched a film, but having felt as if they were part of it, catching apples in the theater and taking photos beneath a hot air balloon in Emerald City.

About EPS

Entertainment Project Services (EPS) is a global leader in entertainment engineering, specializing in automation, rigging, production design solutions, and performer systems. With a track record of delivering under the highest expectations, from Broadway and stadium tours to cruise ships, residencies, and Olympic ceremonies, EPS is committed to bringing vision to life with safe, reliable, and elegant engineering.