Sphere-like venue coming to Centennial Yards
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A crowd watches a fight on a dome at one of the venues from immersive entertainment company Cosm. Credit: Cosm
Immersive entertainment company Cosm is expanding its eye-popping events venue to Centennial Yards in Downtown Atlanta.
The big picture: Cosm's venues, similar to The Sphere in Las Vegas, feature everything from soccer matches to Cirque du Soleil on an 87-foot diameter 12K+ LED dome, Axios' Maxwell Millington reports.
- They also showcase live sports, music, theater and immersive art. And they include a dining room ("The Hall") with wall-to-wall LED displays, plus a sizable rooftop terrace ("The Deck").
Driving the news: On Monday, Cosm announced it has signed a lease with CIM Group to open the big-screen experience's third location in Centennial Yards.
- The opening date and other details are TBD, the company says.
Zoom out: Cosm's first location opened this summer in Los Angeles. A Dallas location is set to open in early fall, the company says, with more on the way.
- Cosm's tech is already in use at planetariums and science museums in Arizona, Fort Worth, Texas, and Shanghai.
Reality check: According to renderings, the exterior building housing the venue will not be sphere-shaped like the Las Vegas landmark.
Meanwhile: Centennial Yards developer CIM Group recently started construction on a 500,000 square-foot entertainment district that will include Cosm, a new music venue, a two-story retail building and a 230-key hotel.
- The proposed 50-acre development will be a hotspot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the company is betting on entertainment, hotels and apartments to attract people.
What they're saying: "We are competing for people's time," Cosm CEO and president Jeb Terry tells Axios.
- "We have so many different types of content, it's not just one size fits all. We're trying to make sure fans get value for their time when they're here."
- Brian McGowan, Centennial Yards' CEO, said the new option will make the Downtown mixed-use district "the center of gravity for entertainment in Atlanta."
Follow the money: Dome ticket prices will vary depending on the event, inventory and seat level.
- Cosm offers low-cost passes for visitors who only want to visit The Hall or The Deck, or for standing-room-only dome access.
Flashback: An Atlanta arts production company proposed a 135-foot sphere in Midtown leading up to the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics but met resistance from city officials and game organizers.
The bottom line: The biggest big screen you ever have seen is joining the scene.