America’s second Sphere set to rise at National Harbor in the D.C. Metro
A smaller-scale construction of the Sphere entertainment venue in Las Vegas may soon be taking shape across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital.
Sphere Entertainment Co., the State of Maryland, Prince George’s County, and Peterson Companies recently announced their intent to develop a new Sphere venue at National Harbor, a premier destination in the Washington, D.C. Metro.
It will be just the second Sphere in the U.S., and first to utilize a smaller-scale design model. It will hold 6,000 seats, making it about one-third the size of the Las Vegas Sphere.
“This innovative project will elevate National Harbor, and Maryland, as one of the country’s preeminent tourism and entertainment hubs,” said Jon Peterson, CEO of Peterson Companies.
The National Harbor Sphere will be built using a combination of public and private funding, including approximately $200 million in state, local, and private incentives.
Sphere would support approximately 2,500 jobs during the construction phase, and 4,750 jobs once operational. Once open, the economic impact of Sphere National Harbor is expected to be greater than $1 billion annually.
Smaller-scale Spheres will feature an Exosphere – the exterior LED display that showcases both artistic and branded content such as at the Las Vegas venue. Inside, 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 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,” said Governor Wes Moore. “This will be one of the largest economic development projects in Prince George’s County history.”
Any construction, development, financing, and operation of a Sphere venue at National Harbor is contingent upon negotiation and execution of definitive agreements, as well as receipt of certain governmental incentives and approvals from Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland.
