Khan Decides Not to Replicate the Las Vegas Sphere in London

Ambitious plans envision the construction of a giant sphere-shaped entertainment venue in London, mirroring the Sphere in Las Vegas. Proposed by Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) the project seeks to replicate the 90-meter music and entertainment at the British capital but Sadiq Khan, the city’s mayor, doesn’t seem to be on board with the idea.

Khan rejected the idea and cited the light pollution the property would create as the chief reason for his decision. For reference, MSG’s plan was to construct the London Sphere in Stratford, close to the Olympic Park.

The Sphere is a brightly illuminated music venue that can project images on its surface. While this design is exactly what makes it popular, it is also why Khan believes that it isn’t well-suited for the London lifestyle.

The mayor pointed out that constructing such a property would cause an “unacceptable negative impact” on residents of the area.

In addition, the property would have been too “dominant and incongruous” and potentially environmentally unstable because of the huge amounts of energy needed to power it.

MSG Will Look Elsewhere

Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which also owns the property in Las Vegas, first unveiled its London project in 2018. Back then, Khan seemed more favorable of the idea and had lauded it as an opportunity to “welcome another world-class venue to the capital” and enrich London.  

However, a year later Khan’s office became concerned with the proposal, which did not comply with the London Plan. Back then, Khan and his staff were planning to decide on a compromise.

In addition, recent estimates show that as many as 61 homes and 177 student rooms would have been affected by the strong light emitted by the property. In the end, Khan seems to have decided that the downsides of replicating the Sphere in London were not worth it.

This decision has the backing of the Green party, which feels similarly about the Sphere. Labour representatives also praised the rejection, saying that it was good news for all local residents.

MSG responded to Khan’s decision, expressing their disappointment in the mayor’s change of heart. However, they said that they would instead focus their efforts on “forward-thinking cities” that would be on board with the idea of enhancing their communities with such technology.