LONDON SAYS NO TO MSG SPHERE

The plan for London’s 21k-capacity MSG Sphere has been scrapped after Mayor Sadiq Khan rejected the proposals.

The project had cleared multiple bureaucratic hurdles, but Khan had the final say, stating that it would result in “an unacceptable negative impact on local residents.”

In response, an MSG spokesperson said the company was “disappointed in London’s decision” and will be concentrating instead on “many forward-thinking cities that are eager to bring this technology to their communities.”

The proposed venue, which would have mirrored MSG’s $2.3b development in Las Vegas, had seen significant resistance by the local council over the last five years, due primarily to the impact its exterior LED display would have had on residents as well as rail and road users.

AEG, which owns London’s 20k-capacity O2 Arena and has objected to the venue from the start, naturally welcomed the news. “We do not oppose competition in the live-entertainment industry and specifically do not oppose another large music venue in London,” said EVP of Real Estate & Development Alistair Wood. “However, this proposal had fundamental flaws from the beginning. It was the wrong design, in the wrong location, and this was the right call.”