The Sphere: Everything You Need to Know About the $2.3 Billion Event Venue

What does it look like inside?

The inside of the performance area is alight with a curving 270-degree screen that regales showgoers in its more than 18,000 seats with quick shifting digital trompe-l’oeils, and every aspect of the venue, from the VIP areas to entry bridges, is intentionally designed with performance and future experiences in mind. Global architecture firm Populous was behind the overall design of Sphere, and ICRAVE, led by founder and CEO Lionel Ohayon, was commissioned by MSG to design its interiors and lighting with the goal of creating a one of a kind visitor experience.

“This project proposed that entertainment was going to change forever,” Ohayon tells AD. “We looked at everything as a performance space, for the whole thing to be an activation, and we started imagining how it would be used.” This involved thinking outside of the typical arena and event space box. Once fans enter the Atrium area of the venue, they’re surrounded by sweeping curved bridges with lit bands and uninterrupted archways. Many of the aspects of the space feature programmable lighting design that transforms the space for different events or shows.

“We wanted to start the experience in the buildup to arrival, we wanted to pull the proscenium to the front door, as soon as you walk in you walk into the experience of Sphere. We didn’t just want people to walk through the space, but to inhabit it.”