Sphere Entertainment
- Madison Square Garden Entertainment's plans to build another Sphere in London were blocked.
- The Mayor of London blocked its proposal and said it would be a "light intrusion" for locals.
- The Sphere in Las Vegas is "so bold and bright you can see it from space," its website says.
London's mayor has burst the bubble on plans to install a mega-sphere that doubled as a concert venue.
On Monday, Sadiq Khan blocked the proposal put forward by Madison Square Garden Entertainment to place a 295-foot-tall dome in East London.
Khan brought the company back down to earth on the grounds that the sphere would cause "significant light intrusion" to nearby residents. He made the comments in a letter to a local planning authority, adding that it would have a "bulky, unduly dominant and incongruous form."
The mayor also said in the letter that "the proposed design concept is a highly energy intensive use, does not achieve a high sustainability standard, and does not constitute good and sustainable design."
A spokesperson for Khan told Business Insider in a statement, "London is open to investment from around the world and Sadiq wants to see more world-class, ambitious, innovative entertainment venues in our city."
They added: "But as part of looking at the planning application for the MSG Sphere, the Mayor has seen independent evidence that shows the current proposals would result in an unacceptable negative impact on local residents."
MSG opened its first dome-shaped entertainment venue to the public last month, where U2 is holding a residency.
The venue, aptly called The Sphere, is "so bold and bright you can see it from space," the company said on its website.
The Las Vegas dome has a wraparound LED screen and 168,000 speakers. It went viral after concertgoers shared photos and videos from inside the site, which is connected to the Venetian hotel.