A new small-scale Sphere venue looks set to be built at National Harbor, a premier destination in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.
Sphere Entertainment Co. said it is looking to develop the venue alongside the State of Maryland, Prince George’s County, and Peterson Companies.
The proposed National Harbor venue would be the first smaller-scale Sphere, with a capacity of 6,000 seats.
Smaller-scale Spheres will feature an Exosphere – the exterior LED display of Sphere that showcases both artistic and branded content and reaches audiences globally.
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.
The addition of Sphere would create a new Maryland landmark that drives significant economic, cultural and community benefits for the County, State, and region, and provides unparalleled immersive experiences powered by advanced technologies.
James L. Dolan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sphere Entertainment, said, “Our focus has always been on creating a global network of Spheres across forward-looking cities.
“Sphere is a new experiential medium. With a commitment to bringing innovative opportunities to residents and visitors, Governor Moore, County Executive Braveboy, the State of Maryland, and Prince George’s County recognize the potential for a Sphere at National Harbor to elevate and advance immersive experiences across the area.”
The Sphere Entertainment Company is an American entertainment holding company based in New York City (US) and controlled by the family of Charles Dolan. It owns the Sphere event venue in Paradise, Nevada, in the Las Vegas Valley and the New York-based regional sports network chain MSG Networks.
The Sphere (also known as the Sphere at the Venetian Resort) is a music and entertainment arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States, east of the Las Vegas Strip. Designed by Populous the project was announced by the Madison Square Garden Company in 2018, known then as the MSG Sphere.
The venue, which seats 17,600 people and has total capacity of 20,000, is being marketed for its immersive video and audio capabilities which include a 16K resolution wraparound interior light-emitting diode (LED) screen, speakers with beamforming and wave field synthesis technologies and 4D physical effects.
Bringing dreams to life
Governor Wes Moore said, “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.
“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.
“We’re excited for what this means for our people, and how it will showcase the best of what Maryland has to offer to everyone who visits.”
Located just 15 minutes from Washington, D.C., National Harbor is a top entertainment and tourism destination in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) region.
Situated along the Potomac River, National Harbor offers world-class entertainment, dining, retail, gaming, convention, and leisure activities to more than 15 million visitors annually.
A Sphere at National Harbor would become a major year-round draw, offering an array of immersive experiences, including original Sphere Experiences, concerts, and brand events, for residents and the millions of domestic and international visitors who travel to the area each year.
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha N. Braveboy said, “This is a world-class win and an incredibly exciting moment for Prince George’s County. This achievement reflects the strong partnership we have built with Governor Wes Moore and the State of Maryland, as well as a disciplined, experienced team that knows how to compete and win major projects at a national scale.
“As only the second Sphere venue in the United States, this project demonstrates the future of economic development in Prince George’s County, how we compete, how we win, and how we attract other world-class destinations that will become flagship projects for our County, our State, and the entire region. I love winning for Prince George’s County.”
The project would utilize 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, in addition to generating millions in additional revenue for the County and State. Once open, the economic impact of Sphere National Harbor is expected to be greater than $1 billion annually.
Sphere in Las Vegas was recently ranked #1 on both Billboard’s and Pollstar’s 2025 lists of top-grossing venues worldwide.
As part of Sphere Entertainment’s vision for a global network of venues, which now includes Sphere in Las Vegas and the planned venue in Abu Dhabi, the Company has designed plans for various sized Spheres that deliver the fully immersive experiences that are the signature of Sphere in Las Vegas.
Any construction, development, financing and operation of a Sphere venue at National Harbor is contingent upon, among other things, 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.
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