New Sphere in Washington, D.C. is coming with a catch

Turns out there will be a second Sphere venue, which has been announced just over two years after the Las Vegas one opened with U2’s residency.

Sphere Entertainment (via NME) announced that a second venue is coming to the United States, and it’s going to be near Washington, D.C. The second Sphere will be built at the National Harbor, which is just south of Washington, D.C.

There will be a big difference between the Las Vegas and Washington, D.C. Spheres, however. The new one will have a seating capacity of 6,000, compared to the 20,000 seats in the one in Vegas. That is a huge downgrade in size.

Luckily, it will be very similar otherwise. In the announcement, Sphere Entertainment promised “All of Sphere’s advanced technologies would be incorporated.” The new venue will use the same LED exosphere and the 16K x 16K interior display plane.

Of course, they noted that “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.”

When will new Sphere in Washington, D.C. open?

It’s unknown when the second Sphere venue will open in Washington, D.C. As noted, the construction is still dependent on approvals.

Previously, they planned on building a second venue in London, England. However, the application was blocked by Sadiq Khan. Now, it appears the second venue will be in the United States instead of in England.

The first venue, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, took just over five years to build. So, even if approvals are given soon, the second Sphere won’t likely open for a few more years.

The Vegas Sphere opened on Sept. 29, 2023. U2 began their 40-show residency at the venue that night. Additionally, Darren Aronofsky filmed Postcard from Earth, a film exclusive to the venue.

Since then, the likes of Phish, Dead & Company, Eagles, Kenny Chesney, Backstreet Boys, and, most recently, the Zac Brown Band have performed at the venue. Additionally, U2 filmed a concert film for the venue from their shows there, and an immersive version of The Wizard of Oz has begun screening at the venue.

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