Second U.S. Sphere Proposed for Maryland's National Harbor
If approved, the site will be the first to adopt a smaller design model, with a capacity of 6,000 seats compared to the Las Vegas venue's 20,000.
Rachel Narozniak
The second Sphere in the United States has been proposed for Maryland's National Harbor, located just 15 mins from Washington, DC.
The proposal, brought forth by Sphere Entertainment Co., in partnership with the State of Maryland, Prince George's County, and Peterson Companies, is contingent on the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements, as well as the approval of certain governmental incentives, according to a press release. A formal timeline for review has not yet been announced.
If approved, the National Harbor site will be the first Sphere to adopt a smaller-scale design model, with a capacity of 6,000 seats compared to Sphere Las Vegas' 20,000. Despite its reduced size, the more intimate venue is expected to deliver the same hyper-immersive experience once singular to Sin City by leveraging "all of Sphere's advanced technologies," including Sphere Immersive Sound, haptic seating, and 4D environmental effects. Plans also include an exterior exosphere LED display and a 16K-by-16K interior display plane, said to be "the world's highest-resolution LED screen."
The project would be funded by a mix of state, local, and private incentives totaling approximately $200 million. It is estimated to generate roughly 2,500 jobs during the construction phase and 4,750 positions once operational, with a projected annual economic impact exceeding $1 billion.
The proposed National Harbor Sphere reflects Sphere Entertainment's broader strategy to establish a global network of venues at varying scales. It would become the company's third planned Sphere, following its flagship Las Vegas site and a second 20,000-capacity Sphere announced for Abu Dhabi in October 2024.
Last year, Sphere Las Vegas placed dance/electronic music on pop culture's most prominent stage yet, skyrocketing the genre's cultural capital by conferring a new level of mainstream reach and cultural relevancy. Read more about its impact in our review of the eight moments and trends that defined the year in dance music.
