Ever since the Sphere opened in Las Vegas, there has been plenty of chatter about where the next one might land. Sphere Entertainment’s original ambition was to replicate the giant live-event venue in London and other major metropolitan areas around the world. London, however, was quickly ruled out after the city’s mayor rejected the plans, making it clear that building a monstrous LED orb in Vegas is one thing, and attempting the same in Europe is quite another.
Sphere Entertainment then turned its attention to a region more receptive to grand visual spectacle: the Middle East. Sphere No. 2 has been confirmed for Abu Dhabi. But Sphere No. 3, it turns out, is being planned for the U.S. East Coast.
Sphere Entertainment has just unveiled an initiative to develop another Sphere venue at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland – albeit at a smaller scale than the OG. The proposed venue would seat approximately 6,000 people – far fewer than the 17,500-capacity Sphere in Las Vegas – but would otherwise be a pretty accurate replica. The National Harbor Sphere would incorporate the same core technology platform, including a 16K-by-16K interior LED display plane, immersive spatial audio, haptic seating, and environmental effects. It would also feature an Exosphere – the Sphere’s mega LED facade – used for artistic fims and DooH campaigns.
“Our focus has always been on creating a global network of Spheres across forward-looking cities,” said James L. Dolan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sphere Entertainment. Dolan said the project already has support from Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, noting shared enthusiasm for the potential of a new experiential medium in the region.
National Harbor is a mixed-use entertainment and tourism district located along the Potomac River, approximately 15 minutes from Washington, D.C, and attracts around 15 million visitors annually. The development would be supported both by public and private, including an estimated US$200 million in state, local, and private incentives. Projected economic impact figures released by the partners estimate approximately 2,500 construction jobs and 4,750 ongoing operational jobs, with an annual economic impact projected to exceed US$1 billion once the venue is open.
Sphere Entertainment has repeatedly emphasized that the broader strategy is to expand the Sphere concept into more markets using multiple venue sizes. And it has laid the ground work to do so: Many of the technologies used in the Sphere were either co-developed by the venue’s owners or acquired through majority investments in the companies behind them. At the same time, the Las Vegas Sphere has already inspired plans for lookalike venues outside the Sphere Entertainment ecosystem. MGM Resorts, for example, has proposed a Sphere-like structure as part of a new mega-resort development in Dubai.
Sphere Entertainment has said the National Harbor project reflects a broader strategy to expand the Sphere concept into additional markets using multiple venue sizes. In addition to Las Vegas, the company has previously announced plans for a mini Sphere in Abu Dhabi.
For now, the National Harbor project underscores how LED-driven architecture has nowhere near reached its limits and immersive entertainment projects are still very much in demand – both in the U.S. and other parts of the world.