Sphere group to “concentrate” on “forward-thinking cities” as they voice “disappointment” in London venue refusal

nme.com:

London Mayor had turned down plans to build an MSG Sphere in Stratford, citing issues of light pollution and negative impacts on residents.Plans for the venue – which would have been the city’s equivalent to the MSG Las Vegas Sphere – were first announced back in 2018, when the Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp (MSG) submitted a planning application to the London Legacy Development Corporation, requesting to transform a site in Stratford.If it had come to fruition, the 21,500-capacity venue would have been the largest concert arena in the UK.

It would also have contained a smaller 1,500-capacity venue inside the orb-like arena for grassroots artists, as well as shops and restaurants.Now, following the plans being rejected by Khan, the operators for the company have issued a response, stating that they are disappointed in the decision and will now be directing their developments to more “forward-thinking cities” instead.In a statement shared with NME, a spokesperson for Sphere Entertainment said: “While we are disappointed in London’s decision, there are many forward-thinking cities that are eager to bring this technology to their communities.

We will concentrate on those.”Originally, the UK version of the Sphere venue was set to sit on a 1.9-hectare (4.7-acre) site in Stratford that was purchased by MSG.

The land, which is adjacent to both the Olympic Park and the Westfield shopping centre, was previously used as a coach park during the 2012 London Olympics.Futuristic mock-up images of the venue were published in 2019, and the company then shared further details about the new space in September the following year – including the news that Network Rail had withdrawn its initial objection to the construction of the.