New Sphere venue to open at National Harbor, Maryland

Sphere Entertainment Co., the State of Maryland, Prince George’s County, and Peterson Companies have announced the development of a new Sphere venue – which would be the second in the U.S. and first to utilise a smaller-scale design model – at National Harbor, Maryland.

The project will utilise a combination of public and private funding, including approximately $200 million in state, local, and private incentives. Sphere would support approximately 2,500 jobs during the construction phase, and 4,750 jobs once operational, in addition to generating millions in additional revenue for the County and State. Once open, the economic impact of Sphere National Harbor is expected to be greater than $1 billion annually.

The proposed National Harbor venue would be the first smaller-scale Sphere, with a capacity of 6,000 seats. Smaller-scale Spheres would feature an Exosphere – the exterior LED display of Sphere that showcases both artistic and branded content and reaches audiences globally. The venue would also feature a 16K x 16K interior display plane – the world’s highest-resolution LED screen. All of Sphere’s advanced technologies would be incorporated, including Sphere Immersive Sound, as well as haptic seating and 4D environmental effects.

Located just 15 minutes from Washington, D.C., National Harbor is a top entertainment and tourism destination in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) region. Situated along the Potomac River, National Harbor offers entertainment, dining, retail, gaming, convention, and leisure activities to more than 15 million visitors annually. A Sphere at National Harbor would become a major year-round draw, offering an array of immersive experiences.

“Our focus has always been on creating a global network of Spheres across forward-looking cities,” said James L. Dolan, executive chairman and CEO, Sphere Entertainment. “Sphere is a new experiential medium. With a commitment to bringing innovative opportunities to residents and visitors, Governor Moore, County Executive Braveboy, the State of Maryland, and Prince George’s County recognise the potential for a Sphere at National Harbor to elevate and advance immersive experiences across the area.”

“Maryland has a long history of providing world-class entertainment and we could not be more excited to work with Sphere Entertainment to bring this cutting-edge project to life,” said governor Wes Moore. “This will be one of the largest economic development projects in Prince George’s County history – proving once again our state is the best place in the country to bring dreams to life. We’re excited for what this means for our people, and how it will showcase the best of what Maryland has to offer to everyone who visits.”

Sphere in Las Vegas was recently ranked #1 on both Billboard’s and Pollstar’s 2025 lists of top-grossing venues worldwide. As part of Sphere Entertainment’s vision for a global network of venues, which now includes Sphere in Las Vegas and the planned venue in Abu Dhabi, the Company has designed plans for various sized Spheres that deliver the fully immersive experiences that are the signature of Sphere in Las Vegas.