Earlier this year Sphere Entertainment Co., the State of Maryland and Prince George’s County announced their collective intention to bring a new Sphere to the East Coast. As they stated at that time this Sphere “would be the second in the U.S. and first to utilize a smaller-scale design model.”
On Tuesday, in an 8-0 vote, the Prince George’s County Council approved a financing deal authorizing up to $215 million in special obligation bonds to help build the facility. The Sphere Entertainment Co. would gradually repay those bonds to the county.
This Sphere will be built at National Harbor, along Potomac River in the National Harbor, located in the vicinity of Washington, D.C.’s metropolitan area. It will scaled for the locale, with a capacity of 6,000, unlike the 20,000 at the flagship venue in Las Vegas.
As Prince George’s County has explained, “Sphere National Harbor would have 6,000 seats and deliver the fully immersive experiences that are the signature of the first Sphere venue in Las Vegas. It would feature an Exosphere – the exterior LED display of Sphere that showcases both artistic and branded content and reaches audiences globally. The venue would also feature a 16K x 16K interior display plane – the world’s highest-resolution LED screen. All of Sphere’s advanced technologies would be incorporated, including Sphere Immersive Sound, as well as haptic seating and 4D environmental effects.”
The venue is currently projected to open for music in 2030.
