Sphere-like venue coming to downtown Detroit

Detroit is next in line to host a cutting-edge immersive entertainment venue, joining Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta in landing an attraction similar to The Sphere in Las Vegas.

The big picture: Bedrock announced Friday that a Cosm venue will add to downtown's entertainment offerings as the anchor tenant for the Dan Gilbert real estate company's long-delayed Development at Cadillac Square.

• Cosm's choice to land in Detroit highlights the city's rising profile for events and entertainment.

Catch up quick: The Development at Cadillac Square is planned with 1.5 million square feet of office, entertainment and retail space and a multistory food hall set around the former National Theatre along Monroe Street by Campus Martius.

• The tenant announcement is a significant step forward for Monroe Blocks, a project that broke ground in 2018.
• The site has sat empty, the project stalled, and the property has been temporarily activated for the summer and holidays.

The latest: Bedrock said Friday that it plans to break ground next year. In early 2023, it was estimated the first development phase would begin in September of this year.

• The timeline for Cosm's construction and opening was not disclosed.

Context: Cosm venues feature everything from soccer matches to Cirque du Soleil on a 12K+ LED dome. They also showcase live sports, music, theater and immersive art, including through partnerships with the NBA, the UFC, the NFL, ESPN and others.

• Cosm opened its first location in Los Angeles this summer, a second in Dallas this fall, and a third is coming to Atlanta.

What they're saying: Detroit interested Cosm as a location, CEO Jeb Terry tells Axios, and the city rose to the top as it worked with Gilbert and his team.

• "When you look at the fandom and everything that is in Detroit, it made a ton of sense for us," Terry says. "The way the fans came out for the NFL Draft this past year …. We'd always liked it, then just seeing the energy really just helped reinforce that decision."

Between the lines: The LED dome in Detroit will be 87 feet tall, matching the height at the other locations.

• It will feature "shared reality" technology that "merges the virtual and physical worlds with state-of-the-art visuals" and the crowd's energy, per the company.
• Expect pub food, cocktails and beer while you watch a show.
• Ticket prices at the other locations appear to vary, with tickets at the Dallas venue for an NCAA game starting at $11 and a Friday-night Cirque du Soleil showing starting at $55.