More Details Have Emerged Around London’s MSG Sphere Venue

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New details have emerged on the plans for The Madison Square Garden Sphere music venue.

The venue will become the largest concert arena in the UK with a capacity of 21,500, the venue will also include a smaller 1,500 capacity venue to “help support grassroots and emerging music acts”, and an additional 450 capacity restaurant and nightclub, and retail spaces & cafes. The venue will also include outdoor spaces, including a play space for children, seating area, and outdoor gym.

The MSG Sphere will be beating London’s current biggest capacity arena, The O2, which has a capacity of 20,000, and will also beat the UK’s largest arena which is Manchester Arena, which has a capacity of 21,000.

The venue will be located on a 1.9 hectare (4.7-acre) site in Stratford, adjacent to the Olympic Park and Westfield shopping centre.

The plans for the venue were first announced in February of 2018, gaining support from both London mayor Sadiq Khan and then culture secretary Matt Hancock.

The new details that have been shared, included the announcement that Network Rail have withdrawn their objections to the new arena being built.

“We are pleased to provide additional details in support of our planning application for MSG Sphere, underlining our commitment to create jobs and boost the local economy,” said Jayne McGivern, MSG Entertainment’s executive vice-president of development and construction.

“The materials reflect the constructive dialogue we have had with a range of local stakeholders, and further demonstrate the careful consideration that has gone into every aspect of our plans.”

The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) are currently discussing the planning application for the venue. You can see the document in full here.

MSG are also working on building a venue in Las Vegas. Originally the London venue was hoping to open in 2022, a year after the Las Vegas venue, however in the new document MSG now say that date is not “realistic”. The MSG Las Vegas venue is now set for a 2023 opening, which might hint the London venue could open in 2024.

The new document also revealed that 35% of the jobs given to construct the arena will be giving to local people, and all jobs at the arena will be paid at the London living wage at least.

“We are confident our proposal thoughtfully sets out how we will deliver a world-class venue, and remain excited about the opportunity to bring MSG Sphere to London” MSG added.