MSG SPHERE LONDON CLEARS HURDLE

Madison Square Garden’s proposal for its MSG Sphere venue in London has been approved by the London Legacy Development Corporation. AEG isn’t thrilled.

The LLDC voted six to four to grant full planning permission, subject to conditions and a legal agreement that may place certain obligations on MSG to protect the local area.

The venue isn’t totally cleared yet—the proposal must now go before mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Moreover, MSG’s advertising proposal, which could see ads displayed across the venue exterior of more than a million LEDs, will require further discussion. Should the project go ahead, the venue, located in Stratford, London, will have a capacity of 21.5k and mirror MSG’s development in Las Vegas.

AEG, which has submitted multiple objections to the venue, said in a statement that the LLDC has “made the wrong decision” in the face of “strong objections from local residents, local community groups, ourselves and the local council, Newham, in which the venue will sit." The promoter continued, “If it comes to it, we will be calling on the mayor of London to uphold his election promise to do what’s best for Londoners, including the residents of Newham, who are having this huge development forced on them, by directing refusal.”

A spokesperson for MSG Entertainment said, “We are pleased that the planning committee voted in support of our vision for MSG Sphere. We now look forward to moving on to the next steps in the approval process.”