Sphere to be built near DC, company announces

Sphere has plans for a sibling.

A new Sphere is in the works for National Harbor in the Washington, D.C. area. Sphere Entertainment, the State of Maryland, Prince George’s County and Peterson Companies announced the partnership Sunday night.

At about 6,000 seats, “Mini Sphere” would be the smaller than the Las Vegas venue.

Sphere in Las Vegas has a maximum capacity of 20,000 seats, or about 17,600 for residency productions. Sphere officials say the goal is to open by the end of 2030.

The venue would have sight lines to the Washington Monument, according to a post by the Washington Post, visibility on flights in and out of Reagan National Airport. Unlike Exosphere at the Las Vegas Sphere, which runs 24/7, Sphere in D.C. will turn off at night.

The project is contingent on approval of incentives used to help fund the new Sphere. The $200 million project would be funded by a combination state, local and private incentives, according to the news release. The partners estimate a $1 billion annual economic impact to the state.

The project would be adjacent MGM National Harbor in the tourist destination just outside D.C. The region attracts about 15 million tourists annually.

The plan fulfills James Dolan’s vision of developing multiple Spheres globally.

“Our focus has always been on creating a global network of Spheres across forward-looking cities,” said Dolan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sphere Entertainment. “Sphere is a new experiential medium.”

All smaller-scale Spheres would feature an Exosphere – the exterior LED display that shows sponsored and artistic video images. 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.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore welcomes the big-ticket productions a new Sphere will stage.

“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,” Moore said in a 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.”

The Las Vegas Sphere has ranked No. 1 on both Billboard’s and Pollstar’s 2025 lists of top-grossing venues internationally. Sphere also has plans to build a venue in Abu Dhabi, and has developed various-sized Spheres planned that will that reflect the experiences of the “signature” Sphere in Las Vegas.

A plan to develop a Sphere in London fizzled in late-2023.

Up next in our Bulbous Wonder is the Eagles’ return this weekend, and Wednesday through Jan. 31. Backstreet Boys are on deck, Feb. 5-15.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.