Jul 29, 2026 - News

National Harbor's Sphere project moves forward

Cuneyt Dil

An elevated city view with a large blue-and-white globe sculpture labeled sphere in the foreground, overlooking a river and long bridge, with autumn trees and distant buildings. — Rendering: Sphere Entertainment Co.

Prince George's County is laying the groundwork for its biggest economic development project in years: the Sphere at National Harbor.

Why it matters: The waterfront site is a bright spot in the county, with recent setbacks like losing Six Flags and (in four years) the Commanders.

Driving the news: The county voted on Monday to create an "extraordinary development district" to guide the planning and financing for the Sphere project.

It'll be a mini version of the original Sphere in Las Vegas, but projected to be a $1+ billion project with 6,000 seats.
The immersive entertainment venue plans to have 4-D effects, an exterior LED screen and a plaza connected to the MGM casino.

What's ahead: Unions want lawmakers to require a "project labor agreement" before giving final approval to tax subsidies for the project, but county executive Aisha Braveboy isn't making any promises.

The county would subsidize $200 million toward the project, borrowing the money against expected future tax revenues from the Sphere.

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National Harbor's Sphere project moves forward

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