The Sphere in Las Vegas captivated the entire world when it first lit up its exosphere over 4th of July weekend in 2023. Apparently, the venue did not impress the politicians in London enough to expand.
Any plans to build a new Sphere in England’s capital city are dead. RIP.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment has officially withdrawn its proposal because it does not want the venue to be involved with local politics any longer. CEO James Dolan and his company lost millions of dollars and countless hours in the process.
Sphere Entertainment, an offshoot of MSG, was working to build a 23,000-capacity arena in the east London town of Stratford. It was going to stand nearly 300-feet tall on the edge of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Just like the one in Las Vegas, the London Sphere would have featured the world’s highest-resolution LED screen and an immersive sound system. The exosphere was going to be covered in LED pucks that light up the sky and blow minds.
However, after receiving initial approval, mayor Sadiq Khan determined that the new Sphere venue would lead to “significant light intrusion, resulting in significant harm to the outlook of neighbouring properties, detriment to human health and significant harm to the general amenity enjoyed by residents of their own homes.” He shot down the proposal.
The Sphere is not coming to London.
Housing secretary Michael Grove decided to review Khan’s rejection back in December. MSG ultimately got tired of its venue getting caught in political crosshairs and announced that it has pulled out all together.
In doing so, MSG responded directly to the Planning Inspectorate. It expressed its extreme disappointment. Londoners will “not benefit from the Sphere’s ground-breaking technology and the thousands of well-paying jobs it would have created.”
The letter also stated its financial loss.
After spending millions of pounds acquiring our site in Stratford and collaboratively engaging in a five-year planning process with numerous governmental bodies, including the local planning authority who approved our plans following careful review, we cannot continue to participate in a process that is merely a political football between rival parties.
— MSG Entertainment
Well, that’s that! The Sphere will not be built in Stratford.
Dolan and company are taking another big hit to their financial portfolio without any result.