LAS VEGAS, NV — The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) announces that it has engaged AECOM to serve as general contractor for MSG Sphere at The Venetian, MSG’s entertainment venue currently under construction in Las Vegas. AECOM is known for building stadiums and entertainment facilities, such as T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada; Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia; and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

“AECOM’s experience creating bold, innovative projects makes them the ideal partner for bringing MSG Sphere at The Venetian to life,” said Jayne McGivern, MSG’s Executive Vice President of Development and Construction.

“We’re excited to partner with The Madison Square Garden Company to deliver a next-generation venue in the heart of the world’s most celebrated entertainment capital,” said Michael S. Burke, AECOM’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re thrilled about this opportunity to leverage our unrivaled construction management capabilities and expertise on the world’s most complex projects to help transform an ambitious vision into a destination venue unlike any that exists today.”

Located on an 18-acre site, MSG Sphere at The Venetian will feature a spherical shape, with a fully programmable LED exterior. This first-of-its-kind venue will be 360 feet tall and 516 feet wide and will connect to Las Vegas Sands’ Venetian Resort via an approximately 1,000-foot-long pedestrian bridge.

With a scalable capacity of approximately 17,500 seated, MSG Sphere at The Venetian will be the first venue to deliver a fully immersive experience on such a large scale.
Inside the venue, guests will be surrounded by the largest and highest resolution LED screen on Earth. More than 160,000 square feet of display surface (equal to three football fields) will wrap up, over and behind the stage and audience, delivering an immersive visual environment — at a resolution 100 times better than today’s HD televisions.

The audio has an advanced acoustics system that features beamforming technology, enabling audio to be directed to specific locations in the bowl at a volume that remains constant — from point of origin to destination. Beamforming technology also allows multiple forms of content to be delivered simultaneously, which means two people, sitting five feet apart, could hear completely different things.

To awaken the sense of touch, an infrasound haptic system will use deep vibrations so that guests can “feel” the experience — whether it’s a volcano erupting or a motorcycle roaring by. And MSG Sphere at The Venetian will also ignite the sense of smell through evocative scents that transport audiences.

Additionally, the venue will introduce a new architecture for connectivity that will deliver 25 megabits per second for every guest, enabling a broader range of content and greater interaction.

The MSG Sphere at The Venetian will have a wide variety of content, including attractions, concerts, residencies, family shows, corporate events, award shows, product launches and select sporting events. In addition, the venue will feature an array of amenities — from seating and hospitality offerings for a range of audiences, to dedicated areas designed specifically for artists.

The team also includes Populous, a design firm, and Rider Levett Bucknall, who will serve as project manager. MSG’s goal is to open MSG Sphere at The Venetian in 2021.