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Opinion | 5 reasons Hong Kong needs to build its own Sphere à la Las Vegas

  • For a start, with such a large, eye-catching and futuristic venue, Hong Kong would not have been overlooked by Taylor Swift, Coldplay and other mega acts

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People arrive during the opening night of the Sphere on September 29 in Las Vegas. Photo: AP

One bright light in these dark days is the landing of the Sphere in Las Vegas. In case you missed it, the Sphere is a mind-blowing experiential venue that will transform entertainment in North America. Currently showcasing U2, the Sphere has an outer-space look and feel, and is breathtaking. It’s next-level immersive virtual reality.

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At 580,000 sq ft, the Sphere’s outer shell is the world’s largest LED display. It is formed from more than a million baseball-sized LED colour-changing lights that create stunning high-definition imagery.

The screen inside is even more impressive, stretching high above and around the 17,500-seat audience. A massive 160,000 sq ft wraparound screen projects images in 16K, while next-generation speakers deliver stunning audio.

A beautiful entertainment and event spaceship has landed in Las Vegas and now another one needs to land in Hong Kong. Let me make the case for why Hong Kong needs its own Sphere.

Firstly, to better engage globally. Government-led initiatives (remember “Hello Hong Kong”?) are simply not connecting. We need to focus on big-picture soft power strategies to give the world a reason to get excited about Hong Kong and want to visit. A Hong Kong Sphere would be a regional and global cultural and entertainment icon that puts the city back on the international map.
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Secondly, for a unique Asia-Pacific conference hub. A Sphere would transform Hong Kong into a class of one as a destination for conferences, events and meetings. We will become a unique destination for companies around the Asia-Pacific and worldwide to hold public and private events. Imagine a corporation being able to host a meeting for all staff in real life and virtually in one multisensory location. The possibilities are endless. A Sphere will make this happen.

An artist’s rendering of the audience bowl inside the Sphere, with undersea imagery projected on its wraparound LED screen. Photo: Courtesy of Sphere Entertainment
An artist’s rendering of the audience bowl inside the Sphere, with undersea imagery projected on its wraparound LED screen. Photo: Courtesy of Sphere Entertainment
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