A look at the MSG Sphere theater and performance venue that’s currently under-construction on the corner of Sands Avenue and Koval Lane, Thursday, June 17, 2021.
Thursday, June 17, 2021 | 3:26 p.m.
A milestone in the construction of the MSG Sphere at the Venetian will take place Friday when the last of 32 steel beams in the 17,500-seat domed entertainment venue will be bolted into place.
The $1.7 billion Sphere, originally slated to open this year, is now scheduled to be finished in 2023, according to builder Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. The company is leasing the land for the arena from Las Vegas Sands, which owns and operates the Venetian.
On Thursday, about 650 construction workers sweated it out in 114-degree heat to erect the futuristic arena, which will feature a 160,000-square-foot, high-resolution LED display.
The Sphere will be used for concerts, shows and sporting events and eSports competitions.
Nick Tomasino, vice president of construction for the Madison Square Garden Company, said there will be two “topping out” ceremonies for the project.
The first will be Friday and the second next year, when the arena’s “exosphere” goes up.
The exosphere will have a display made of 580,000 square feet of LED light panels that will be visible from miles away. It will be 30% taller than the structure visible today, Tomasino said.
When complete, the Sphere will be over 500 feet wide and 366 feet tall.
