New performance venue near Las Vegas Strip to reshape skyline

The Madison Square Garden Co. is partnering with Las Vegas Sands Corp. to build a sphere-shaped arena on the Las Vegas Strip. MSG Sphere Las Vegas will be built just east of The Venetian, and will stand 360 feet tall. The 400,000-square-foot facility will be built on an open-air storage lot at Sands Avenue between Koval Lane and Manhattan Street. The scalable 18,000-seat arena is being built strictly for music and entertainment performances — not sports — although it also could host esports competitions. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2018, and a late 2020 opening is planned. Las Vegas will be the first Sphere location, but plans are in the works for a venue in London.