It was reported yesterday (November 20) that the London Mayor had turned down plans to build an MSG Sphere in Stratford, citing issues of light pollution and negative impacts on residents.
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shared further details about the new space in September the following year – including the news that Network Rail had withdrawn its initial objection to the construction of the arena.
