Plans for a second Sphere venue announced

Las Vegas won’t be the only city with a giant, glowing ball.

Abu Dhabi will be the next location to showcase multimedia entertainment in the unique sphere structure, Sphere Entertainment Co. and Abu Dhabi tourism officials announced on Tuesday.

The planned venue is in line with the UAE Tourism Strategy 2030, which aims to “further establish Abu Dhabi as a vibrant center for culture and innovation,” said HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism , in a press release.

“By introducing cutting-edge entertainment like Sphere, we are not only raising our global profile, but also setting new standards for immersive experiences and cultural offerings,” said Al Mubarak.

James L. Dolan, chairman and CEO of Sphere Entertainment, said the Abu Dhabi location will build on the company’s vision of a “global network of venues.”

The announcement did not provide details about the exact location of the new venue, but said it would reflect the size of the “20,000-capacity Sphere in Las Vegas.”

This venue opened in September 2023 with a series of shows from international rock superstars U2.

At 366 feet (112 meters) high and 516 feet (157 meters) wide, the Las Vegas structure is considered the largest spherical structure in the world. Inside is what is said to be the world’s highest resolution all-round LED screen. And its exterior features 1.2 million hockey puck-sized LEDs that can be programmed to flash dynamic images on a large scale – again, reportedly the largest in the world.

The cost of the Sphere in Vegas? $2.3 billion.

The partnership for the second tranche between Abu Dhabi tourism officials and Sphere Entertainment is “subject to the conclusion of definitive agreements,” the press release said. It would require a “franchise initiation fee” paid to Sphere Entertainment for the right to build the venue. The construction would be funded by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism.

Details on the schedule and expected cost of the Abu Dhabi venue were not available.

CNN’s Brandon Griggs contributed to this report.

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