A rendering of the proposed mini-Sphere planned for National Harbor. Image courtesy of Sphere Entertainment.
The Las Vegas Sphere has hosted everything from a U2 residency to a 4D cinematic experience showcasing The Wizard of Oz, and most recently, Timothée Chalamet standing atop its massive LED screen. Now, a smaller version could be headed to the DMV.
Coming in at 6,000 seats—roughly one-third the size of its 18,600-seat Las Vegas predecessor—the smaller-scale Sphere is being proposed for National Harbor in Prince George’s County. It would be a collaboration between the State of Maryland, Sphere Entertainment, and Peterson Companies.
State and county officials have already signaled support for the project. In a Martin Luther King Jr. Day message, the Prince George’s County Executive’s Office highlighted the proposal, saying it would “fundamentally change our revenue base, strengthen our long-term fiscal outlook, and elevate Prince George’s County’s competitive position for decades to come.”
But not everyone is convinced the project’s economic promise outweighs its potential cost to the community.
While the new Sphere is projected to create more than 7,000 jobs, local taxpayers and residents aren’t all as enthusiastic. Traffic surged following the opening of MGM National Harbor in 2016, and there are currently no public plans to mitigate additional congestion near the proposed Sphere site. The venue is also expected to cost more than $1 billion to construct, with roughly $200 million coming from a mix of state, local, and private incentives, according to Sphere Entertainment.
Supporters say the venue could deliver economic and tourism benefits similar to those seen in Las Vegas, where Sphere Entertainment has reported that The Wizard of Oz screenings alone generate roughly $2 million in revenue a day. According to projections released by Governor Wes Moore’s office and Sphere Entertainment, the proposed National Harbor location could generate an estimated $1 billion in annual economic impact.
For now, however, the Sphere proposal remains in its early stages and still requires additional county and state approvals before construction or an opening timeline could be finalized.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source washingtonian.com ’
