Sphere CEO Targets Five Venues Open, Five More Under Construction by 2032

Sphere Entertainment is accelerating its global rollout. On the company's second quarter earnings call July 30, Executive Chairman and CEO James L. Dolan said he wants "five, six years from now, have five venues up or more and have another five that are under construction." Executive Vice President David Granville-Smith added that the in-house development team can handle another two to four projects over the next 18 months.

Abu Dhabi, National Harbor, and a Third Site Coming

Construction is underway on Sphere Abu Dhabi on Yas Island, with capacity up to 20,000 and completion expected by the end of 2029. Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism is funding the project with a $1.7 billion investment and will own the building, while Sphere Entertainment collects franchise fees and royalties.

A 6,000-capacity venue at National Harbor outside Washington, D.C., is structured differently: a third party funds and owns construction while Sphere holds a long-term lease and operates the venue. Dolan said financing should close shortly, on top of $200 million in state, local and private incentives, and that the site plan has been filed with Prince George's County. He expects it open in under four years.

No third location has been named. Dolan said the company is in serious talks with a couple of markets and expects another announcement by the end of 2026, or the first quarter of 2027 at the latest.

Electronic Music Has Headlined Three Times

Anyma opened the venue's electronic chapter with The End of Genesys, running 12 shows between late December 2024 and early March 2025 after his opening nights sold out. Insomniac and Tomorrowland followed with UNITY across nine nights, the first festival-branded production made for the room rather than a single artist.

ILLENIUM ran ODYSSEY from March 5 to 14 and April 2 to 4 before closing with two July dates, built around an album written alongside the show. Sources indicate Tomorrowland will return to Las Vegas for another Sphere residency.

Las Vegas Losses Narrowing as Revenue Climbs

Sphere Entertainment reported $313.6 million in second quarter revenue, up 11 percent year over year. The Sphere segment generated $226.4 million, up nearly 30 percent, and narrowed its operating loss 17 percent to $69.6 million. Adjusted operating income rose to $39.9 million from $24.9 million.

Most revenue comes from The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, which opened August 28, 2025 and has sold nearly 3.6 million tickets for approximately $450 million across 220 performances in the quarter alone. An enhanced version arrives in September and The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Sphere is expected in 2027.

Sphere builds content to move between venues, and every location runs the same tech stack. If the count reaches five, a production built for Las Vegas has four more rooms to play.