MSG SPHERE MOVES FORWARD

London’s MSG Sphere has moved another step closer to fruition with sign-off for its controversial advertising strategy. AEG is “dismayed.”

MSG’s advertising proposal, which would see ads composed of more than a million LEDs splashed across the venue's exterior, has been approved by the London Legacy Development Corporation’s Planning Decisions Committee.

This is despite the fact that, as a statement from AEG points out, the proposal was faced with multiple objections from the local council, neighboring boroughs, transport operators and local residents.

The decision was made at a meeting Tuesday at which LLDC said the approval for the LED lights would be subject to a five-year review.

In response, AEG—which owns The O2, a competitor to the new venue—has called on the mayor of London to refuse the planning application.

“The advertising façade is at a wholly unprecedented scale for London and totally out of keeping with the surrounding area,” the statement reads. “The design was conceived for the heart of Las Vegas and has been transposed onto this east London site. It’s the wrong design, in the wrong location.”

Objections raised concerns about the impact the light display would have on local residents, as well as rail or road users. Should the project go ahead, the venue, located in Stratford, will, in fact, mirror MSG’s development in Las Vegas, with a capacity of 21,000. MSG Sphere at The Venetian will seat 17,500.