Plans announced for second Sphere venue near Washington DC
Sphere Entertainment has revealed plans for a Sphere venue at National Harbor, Maryland, with a capacity of 6,000.
The Sphere at National Harbor, an area just south of Washington DC, would have a similar form and function to the MSG Sphere Las Vegas, which opened in 2023.
It is planned for a site alongside the MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino on a plot that is currently used as a parking lot.
Like the MSG Sphere Las Vegas it would be covered in an exterior LED display, however, it would be a significantly smaller venue. Its planned 6,000-seat capacity would be just over a third of the Las Vegas Sphere, which seats 17,600.
National Harbor Sphere could launch "global network of Spheres"
According to Sphere Entertainment, the new venue is planned as the first of many siblings to the Las Vegas venue.
"Our focus has always been on creating a global network of Spheres across forward-looking cities," said CEO of Sphere Entertainment James L Dolan.
"Sphere is a new experiential medium. With a commitment to bringing innovative opportunities to residents and visitors, governor [Wes] Moore, county executive [Aisha] Braveboy, the State of Maryland, and Prince George's County recognize the potential for a Sphere at National Harbor to elevate and advance immersive experiences across the area."
The new, smaller spherical venue would feature the same technologies as the existing Sphere in Las Vegas, including haptic seating, 4D environmental effects and immersive sound.
Like the Las Vegas venue it would also have a 16K x 16K interior display plane that Sphere Entertainment, which is part of US company Madison Square Garden Entertainment, claims is "the world's highest-resolution LED screen".
The Sphere at National Harbor would be developed together with the State of Maryland, Prince George's County and Peterson Companies.
It would be funded using both public and private means, with approximately $200 million set to come from state, local and private incentives.
"Maryland has a long history of providing world-class entertainment and we could not be more excited to work with Sphere Entertainment to bring this cutting-edge project to life," said Maryland governor Moore.
"This will be one of the largest economic development projects in Prince George's County history – proving once again our state is the best place in the country to bring dreams to life."
Numerous Sphere venues planned around the world
The MSG Sphere Las Vegas, which is the world's largest spherical structure, was unveiled in 2023 and is clad in a 54,000-square-metre LED screen.
A plan to open a second Sphere in London, set to be designed by architecture studio Populous, proved contentious. It was withdrawn in 2024 after Madison Square Garden Entertainment labeled the planning process "a political football between rival parties".
In an opinion piece for Dezeen, writer Matt Shaw called the Las Vegas Sphere "the final form of the 20th-century American city".
In 2024, Sphere Entertainment announced plans for a second Sphere set to be built in Abu Dhabi, and the company was reportedly also seeking to create a "K-pop Sphere" in Hanam, South Korea.
The images are courtesy of Sphere Entertainment.
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