Las Vegas sphere owners reportedly want to build "mini spheres" in other cities
Said to currently be in the "design stage," the run of 5,000-capacity smaller-scale spheres would address "sustainability" issues currently impacting the Nevada flagship venue.
The owners of Las Vegas' MSG Sphere are reportedly planning to build a series of "mini-spheres" in new cities.
According to a report from EDM.com, Sphere Entertainment's Chairman and CEO James Dolan teased plans in an earnings call for a new sphere concept that would seat "around 5,000 people"— a quarter of the capacity of the current Nevada-based venue.
While the new "mini-spheres" are said to still be in the design stage, Sphere Entertainment is reportedly looking for host cities for the run of new venues; the Las Vegas sphere would remain the "flagship" location for the company.
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The new concept would not include the upcoming Abu Dhabi Sphere, which was announced last year and will reportedly have a capacity of around 17,500.
According to EDM.com, Sphere Entertainment has drawn up plans for "mini-spheres" to address some of the issues that have arisen in operating the Las Vegas Sphere — including high operational costs for both artists and the venue.
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The Las Vegas MSG Sphere's huge LED screens have reportedly caused a multitude of issues for the venue, from eye-watering energy bills to a limited selection of artists being able to take up residences due to the cost and logistics of creating tailor-made visuals for each show.
In the months after the MSG Sphere opened, the venue's CFO left the company amid reports that it had lost $98.4 million, while plans for a similar sphere in London were rejected by Mayor Sadiq Khan last year over fears light pollution from the development would negatively affect residents in Stratford and the nearby area.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter.
