A Smaller Version of the Las Vegas Sphere May Be Coming to the Washington, D.C. Area
Officials have proposed building a mini-Sphere in Maryland’s National Harbor. One-third the size of the original, the structure would cost about $1 billion
The new miniature Sphere at National Harbor would have 6,000 seats.
Sphere Entertainment and Peterson Companies
Since its grand opening in 2023, the Las Vegas Sphere has quickly emerged as one of the most viral venues in the worlds of music, film, sports and pop culture.
Stretching more than 500 feet wide, the $2.3 billion dome has hosted a 40-show U2 residency, The Wizard of Oz screenings, the National Hockey League draft and UFC 306, among other events. Videos of Orbi, the massive emoji who “lives” on its exterior LED screen and rises with the desert sun, have been shared widely online. Last month, Timothée Chalamet became the first person to stand atop the Sphere while promoting his new film, Marty Supreme.
“It’s a paradigm shift in live music and visual [presentation],” Trey Anastasio, lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which played at the Sphere in April 2024, told CNN’s Jason Morris. “It’s … an exciting new canvas.”
Now, versions of the structure are being planned in other locations, including Abu Dhabi, where a full-size replica Sphere is already under construction. This month, officials announced a proposal to build a new—albeit smaller—Sphere outside Washington, D.C.
“Our focus has always been on creating a global network of Spheres across forward-looking cities,” James L. Dolan, the executive chairman and CEO of Sphere Entertainment, says in a statement.
If the project moves forward, the proposed venue would be the second Sphere in the United States. Sphere Entertainment
With a planned 6,000 seats, the new mini-Sphere would be located in National Harbor in Maryland. It would be roughly one-third the size of the 18,000-seat original, though it will feature many of the same bells and whistles. These include what Sphere Entertainment claims to be the highest-resolution LED screens in the world; immersive surround sound technology; “haptic” vibrating feedback chairs; and the capacity for wind, scent, environmental and temperature changes.
In a press conference held earlier this week, officials estimated that the mini-Sphere’s construction would generate more than 2,700 jobs, per WTOP. Once it’s complete, it’s expected to support around 5,000 jobs. It’s projected to generate $1 billion in economic activity annually through artist residencies, sporting events and corporate functions.
The venue is expected to cost $1 billion to build, supported by both private and public funds, including $200 million in incentives, the Washington Post’s Erin Cox, Travis M. Andrews and Ethan Beck report. Some of these benefits, though, are subject to a public vote. Sphere Entertainment would also be required to forego up to $130 million in future tax revenue and construct a $40 million public parking garage.
Reactions to the proposal have been mixed. “It’s a Sphere, so it’s really exciting,” Charmagne Reyes, a local resident, tells WUSA’s Ittai Sopher and Alexis Wainwright. “But the traffic would be much worse because it’s the National Harbor. Whenever there are big events, it’s always backed up.”
Fun fact: The record-setting Sphere
Located near the Las Vegas Strip, the original entertainment venue is billed as the largest spherical building in the world.
Concerns also linger over potential light pollution from the venue’s exterior LED screen, which officials say will feature both advertisements and art. The issue was the primary sticking point in a proposal to bring Sphere to London, which was rejected in 2023 after Mayor Sadiq Khan said the venue would bring “unacceptable harm to hundreds of residents,” according to Dezeen’s Cajsa Carlson.
If the mini-Sphere project moves forward, it will be the centerpiece of an already well-established entertainment hub. The 350-acre National Harbor, home to 160 stores and 40 restaurants, is visited by 15 million people each year, per the New York Times’ Christine Hauser.
“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,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore says in the statement. “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.”
According to Washingtonian’s Tristan Espinoza, no timeline has yet been set for the mini-Sphere’s construction, as the venue still needs county and state approvals to move forward.