Sphere Entertainment Co. recently announced the return of the Sphere XO Student Design Challenge and this year’s theme: Pi Day. More than 100,000 students will again be invited to create art for the Exosphere as part of the annual collaboration between Sphere, UNLV, and the Clark County School District. The winning students’ art will debut on the Exosphere on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, just ahead of Pi Day which is celebrated annually on March 14.
At Sphere, nearly every mathematical equation that was used in the venue’s creation and construction involves Pi, a mathematical constant (3.14159...) that represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi Day offers an opportunity for student artists to think creatively about the intersection of art and science – the same principles that inspired and built Sphere. The Pi Day theme follows previous years’ challenges, which were centered around Earth Day and Fourth of July.
“We’re proud to partner once again with UNLV and CCSD for this year’s Pi Day themed challenge, celebrating the power of art and science to inspire curiosity and wonder,” said Rich Constable, executive vice president and global head of government affairs & social impact for the Sphere Entertainment Co. “Creativity, like Pi itself, has no bounds, and we can’t wait to see how these talented students bring that spirit to life on the world’s largest LED screen.”
“The UNLV College of Fine Arts is extremely pleased and excited to continue our XO Student Design Challenge partnership with Sphere, with the 2026, theme of Pi Day. This endeavor is a particularly powerful educational opportunity for students, in that it is rooted in the integration of arts, technology, and science, and is broadly conceived to include all stages of education — from elementary through university graduate school. This incredibly innovative and visionary project is truly unique in the global context,” said CFA Dean Nancy Uscher.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge is open to more than 100,000 Clark County-based students from elementary school through college, who will have the opportunity to have their artwork displayed on the Exosphere. Winners will be selected by a combination of public voting and a panel of judges, and their work will be unveiled on March 11, 2026, at a community celebration at Sphere just ahead of Pi Day.
Additionally, winning CCSD high school and UNLV students will receive a $10,000 educational scholarship from Sphere. Winning CCSD elementary and middle school students will earn a $10,000 donation from Sphere for their school’s art program to further art education in public schools, along with tickets for their entire school to attend The Wizard of Oz at Sphere.
About the Third Annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge
Elementary and middle school students will create their artwork on a 2D drawing of the Sphere. Select high school and UNLV students will be provided with a VR headset and custom design tools developed by the Sphere team to aid in the creation of their art. They will also receive hands-on tutorials from Sphere designers on how to create art specifically for the Exosphere
For the final judging and public voting, CCSD administrators will select 60 students (30 each from elementary and middle school) to represent the district; all 30 HS participants’ artwork and 30 UNLV participants’ artwork will also be submitted
The 120 final digitized submissions will be viewable on thesphere.com for public voting. Additional information about the voting process will be announced at a later date, and winners will be revealed ahead of Pi Day. Four winners, one each from elementary school, middle school, high school, and UNLV, will be chosen by the general public
The Exosphere, which at 580,000 square feet is the world’s largest digital canvas, is recognized worldwide for its impactful visuals. The Exosphere consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying more than 1 billion different colors – creating a vivid landmark on the Las Vegas skyline.
About Sphere
Sphere is a next-generation entertainment medium that is redefining the future of live entertainment. A venue where the foremost artists, creators, and technologists create extraordinary experiences that bring storytelling to a new level and take audiences to places both real and imagined. The venue hosts original Sphere Experiences from leading Hollywood directors; concerts and residencies from the world’s biggest artists; and premier marquee events. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023, and is a new Las Vegas landmark, powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and enable audiences to share experiences at a never-before-seen scale. More information is available at thesphere.com.
About the UNLV College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
