Guess what? What happens in Las Vegas really does stay in Las Vegas.
It seems the sprawling ball of LEDs known as the Sphere which can be seen shimmering on the Las Vegas Strip, won’t be getting a London sibling, after all. Madison Square Garden Entertainment, the American company behind the Sphere, has officially withdrawn its proposal to build a sister Sphere in London.
The announcement came after what the company described as a “groundbreaking technology” project got mired in political rivalries. The company said it would take its concept to “more forward-thinking cities.”
The decision doesn’t come as a major shocker. In November, London’s Labour Party mayor, Sadiq Khan, blocked the Sphere, proposed to be built next to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London, stating that the building wrapped in 54,000 square meters of LED lighting would cause light pollution for the residents in the area.
The plans for the Sphere in London have faltered, putting a dent in Britain’s large project ambitions. The conservative national government recently downsized a high-speed rail project that would have connected London and Manchester due to budget constraints.
The rave for big and impressive structures in London isn’t unusual, after watching the developments like the London Eye and the O2 Center emerge in the city. However, the proposal for the Sphere was met with backlash from experts who warned of potential health risks and disturbances in the area.
London had hoped that the Sphere, with a seating capacity of 21,500, could have established itself as a premiere venue for concerts and events. But the project took a nosedive as a result of political tensions and community fears.
In the end, the Sphere won’t head to London, after all.