Maryland Approves Funding for New Sphere Venue

Prince George’s County leaders have approved up to $215 million in funding for a new Sphere venue at National Harbor in Maryland, just south of Washington, D.C. The project is planned as a sister venue to the Las Vegas Sphere.

The new building will keep the same geodesic dome shape, but it will be much smaller. It is expected to hold about 6,000 people, compared with the Las Vegas venue’s 20,000-person capacity.

The county council voted unanimously on October 27 to move the project forward. The venue was first announced in January, and officials have not set a date for groundbreaking or opening yet. The full project is expected to cost about $1.4 billion.

County Executive Aisha Braveboy said the project could bring major economic benefits to the county and the state. She said it is expected to generate $63 million a year from property tax, sales tax, and amusement tax alone.