Plans Reveal MSG Sphere Inner Workings and Parking Challenges

By Scott Roeben, on August 01 2022
3 min read 11 comments
Las Vegas Las Vegas Shows

Progress on the MSG Sphere, a new entertainment venue near Venetian resort, is moving right along.

While there have been a lot of photos of the outside of this innovative venue, we’re curious about the inside.

Here’s the outside of the Sphere to get that out of the way.

The lattice around the Sphere holds the LEDs. The LEDs hold the magic.

We got our hands on some planning documents that get all up inside the Sphere, and while there’s no breaking news involved, it’s still interesting to see what’s in the works.

Here’s a peek at Sphere’s “200 Level, Terrace Tier.”

Blueprints are like building x-rays, just without all the ensuing erectile dysfunction.

Let’s zoom in to see where we’re going to get food and use the restroom. To be clear, those are different places.

Hey, Sphere, could you come up with a sexier name for “Family Toilet”? Thanks.

Level 300 is the Gallery Tier. We honestly don’t know what these names are referencing. We just like knowing ahead of time where the concession stands are (sorry, F&B Markets) so we know where to get our $37 popcorn.

These are some of the places you and your friends will share drinks and talk about the Sphere’s infrasound haptic system. Mostly that first thing.

There’s also an assortment of mechanical, electrical, storage and IT spaces, as well as a teensy Guest Services space, a retail shop and a first aid area for those who could only afford nosebleed seats.

Another set of planning documents shows what the parking situation is at MSG Sphere.

As you’ll recall, there was an ongoing kerfuffle about parking (or the lack thereof) at Allegiant Stadium. They eventually sorted those issues out.

Here’s how the parking situation at MSG Sphere is shaking out.

Wear comfortable shoes.

If you zoom in, you can see some of the hard numbers.

Parking, schmarking. We’ll all have flying cars by 2023. Oh, crap, those need parking spaces, too. Nevermind.

There’s not a lot of parking near the actual Sphere. There are 304 public spaces for a venue with a capacity of 17,500.

MSG Sphere (owned by Madison Square Gardens) says it’s going to include the 12,101 spaces at Venetian Expo (formerly Sands Expo) in its total for “provided parking.”

While that’s convenient, nobody’s really talking about how far the walk is from MSG Sphere to Venetian. In the parlance of planning and logistics, it’s a long-ass walk.

A pedestrian walkway is being built between MSG Sphere and Venetian, but still.

Here are the plans for the 1,000-foot-long walkway.

Get a look at the walkway in our hastily slapped-together video.

Even if you include all those spaces at the Venetian Expo, there’s a 1,505 parking space shortfall. (The required number of spaces is 13,910.)

It’s possible MSG Sphere could wrangle some spaces in the Wynn’s employee parking garage.

Anyway, it seems there are still a few details to hammer out before MSG Sphere opens in 2023.

One thing the MSG Sphere has a good handle on is its awesome visuals.

Here’s a look at the plans for the Sphere’s “projection zones.”

Now, you know where all the MSG Sphere eye candy will be.

If you’ve read this far, you’re a fairly obsessive person, so we might as well zoom in on some of the nergy language used to describe these Sphere projection zones.

Use some of these terms at a casino bar and you will get all the ladies. Yes, even if you’re a lady. Be more open-minded.

If you’re bored, feel free to check out the MSG Sphere plans in .pdf format.

We did a recent update of the progress at MSG Sphere, so you’ll want to shove those into your eyeholes.

MSG Sphere may never make back its nearly $2 billion investment, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to make a splash when it opens next year.

We’ll keep tabs on all the latest developments at MSG Sphere, including who’s lined up to perform. The latest is U2 will be the first residency at MSG Sphere. U2 is the second-highest-grossing-touring band, ever, after the Rolling Stones.

You Go, MSG Sphere, or whatever you’re called after the naming rights deal. You go.