The development plans for Las Vegas’ MSG Sphere include the creation of smaller “mini-spheres” in various cities. Sphere Entertainment’s Chairman and CEO, James Dolan, hinted at this new concept during an earnings call, mentioning that these mini-spheres would have a capacity of around 5,000 people, a significant reduction from the current venue in Nevada. While still in the design phase, the company is actively seeking potential host cities for these new venues, with the Las Vegas sphere remaining as its flagship location.
The new mini-sphere concept will not be connected to the upcoming Abu Dhabi Sphere project, which was announced last year and is expected to accommodate around 17,500 people. Sphere Entertainment aims to address operational challenges faced by the Las Vegas Sphere through these mini-spheres, particularly focusing on high operational costs for both artists and the venue. The existing Las Vegas MSG Sphere has encountered difficulties due to its massive LED screens, leading to issues such as exorbitant energy bills and limited artist residencies due to the logistical and financial challenges of creating custom visuals for each show.
Following the opening of the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, reports emerged that the venue had incurred a loss of $98.4 million, prompting the departure of the venue’s CFO. Plans for a similar sphere in London were also rejected by Mayor Sadiq Khan due to concerns about light pollution impacting residents in Stratford and the surrounding area. The company is now focusing on expanding its sphere concept to new cities with smaller capacity mini-spheres, while addressing operational issues experienced at the flagship Las Vegas location.
Megan Townsend, Deputy Editor at Mixmag, provides insights into the development plans for the mini-sphere venues and the challenges faced by the existing MSG Sphere in Las Vegas. Stay updated by following her on Twitter
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