Sphere Entertainment is reportedly working on plans to bring a scaled-down mini version of its groundbreaking Las Vegas venue to other cities.
According to a report by AV Magazine, the company’s Executive Chairman/CEO James Dolan told analysts on an investment call that work is underway to design miniature Spheres that could accommodate a capacity of about 5,000 people, or about 25% of the Las Vegas Sphere’s capacity of 17,600–20,000 (depending on whether the floor is seated or standing room only).
The scaled-down mini-Sphere venues would supposedly require less investment from artists to produce custom visuals for the wraparound LED screen and would cost less to build. For reference, visuals for the full-size Las Vegas venue can cost tens of thousands of dollars per song, and the venue itself cost $2.3 billion to build, nearly double the initial estimates of $1.2 billion.
In addition to live concerts, the mini-Sphere would be able to screen films adapted for the venue, as well as pre-recorded musical performances like U2’s immersive concert film, which continues to run in Las Vegas and generate revenue long after the band completed its 40-show residency in 2024.
There are no confirmed details on when or where the mini-Spheres might be built. In the meantime, bands have begun to experiment with Sphere-inspired shows at planetariums, like Strangers Stopping Strangers‘ recent performance at Liberty Science Center‘s Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium.
This news follows an announcement last October that Sphere Entertainment plans to build a second full-sized Sphere in Abu Dhabi.
Check out the full calendar of shows coming to Sphere.