The World's Largest Dome Venue 'Sphere' No. 2 to Be Built in This Desert City

The world's largest dome concert hall 'The Sphere' opened in Las Vegas [Photo by Sphere Entertainment]

The world’s largest dome concert hall, the ‘Sphere,’ which has become a new landmark in the desert city of Las Vegas, is set to open its second venue in another desert city: Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On the 15th (local time), Sphere operator Sphere Entertainment and the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism announced that they "will cooperate to bring the world’s second Sphere to Abu Dhabi." There was no mention of the construction costs, royalties, or installation site. Instead, both parties stated, "The Sphere is redefining live entertainment and expanding the scope of its transformative impact," adding, "Once the Sphere is established in Abu Dhabi, it will provide residents and visitors with new and special entertainment, becoming a new landmark for Abu Dhabi."

Panoramic view of the second 'Sphere', the world's largest dome concert hall, being built in Abu Dhabi, UAE [Photo by Abu Dhabi]

Opened in September last year, the Sphere is a massive architectural structure literally shaped like a ‘sphere,’ designed to resemble the Earth. Its official name is ‘MSG Sphere.’ The American sports and entertainment company Madison Square Garden (MSG) invested a total of $2.3 billion (approximately 3 trillion KRW) over seven years starting in 2018 to build it.

Standing 112 meters tall?comparable to a 40-story apartment building?and with a floor diameter of 157 meters, it is a spherical arena roughly the size of two soccer fields. The framework is built with 3,000 tons of steel and 10,000 tons of concrete, and the exterior walls are covered with light-emitting diode (LED) panels capable of displaying high-definition images and videos. Inside, a high-resolution LED screen wraps around half of the ceiling in a curved shape, and 160,000 speakers are installed. With 18,600 seats, the venue has hosted concerts, shows, and various events since its opening, establishing itself as a new attraction in Las Vegas. In the evening, the exterior is used as a dazzling billboard, allowing advertisements to be seen from anywhere in downtown Las Vegas.