By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
If you’ve ever been to the Las Vegas Sphere or follow the arena on social media, chances are you’re familiar with the massive yellow emoji character appearing on the venue’s Exosphere. This charming icon has fans around the world, but if you asked anyone for its name, they probably wouldn’t have a response for you. This all changed in February 2025 when Sphere Entertainment Co. introduced the world to the one, the only, Orbi.
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Orbi made its debut on the Sphere’s LED screen in 2023 and has since been a daily fixture on its exterior making funny faces to capture each day’s feelings and emotions.
In the mornings, Orbi rises with the sun and often enjoys a cup of coffee. The character wears a party hat on Friday and Saturday nights (obvs!) and admitted in a recent Q&A Instagram sesh that there’s so much to see on the Vegas Strip its hard to figure out which sights are its favorite.
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Since its inception, Orbi has been outfitted appropriately to keep up with the seasons and cultural events in and out of Vegas.
The bright yellow character wore a helmet during the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix and wears party glasses accompanied by a noisemaker on New Year’s Eve. Over the years, Orbi has been spotted squeezing into an ugly Christmas sweater and putting on sunglasses during the summer months. In October 2024, the Sphere donned an “I Voted” sticker to encourage voting during the 2024 U.S. election.
Fans can now add a little Orbi to their own wardrobes. The newly launched “Orbi Collection” from the Sphere includes a selection of curated merchandise ranging from apparel to hats featuring several nods to Orbi’s ever-hanging facial expressions.
Shop these goods before they’re sold out at shop.thesphere.com. (And hi, Orbi! Good to meet you!)
Image credit: Sphere Entertainment Co.
About the Author
Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.
