MSG Entertainment is bringing the innovative concert audio system from Sphere in Las Vegas to one of the company’s signature New York venues, Radio City Music Hall.
While Radio City is almost 100 years old, it remains a major tour stop for a number of top recording artists and it also hosts perennial events like the Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes. Next month’s spectacular is when the new sound system will debut, with concerts to follow in 2026.
Earlier this week, NBCUniversal, whose 30 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters is upstairs from Radio City, said the theater would once again host its May upfront presentation to advertisers.
Sphere’s only location thus far is in Las Vegas, but MSG Entertainment CEO James Dolan started the company with plans to expand the footprint. Licensing is also part of the strategy, with the sound, design and screen-saturated experience of Sphere potentially being incorporated into third-party venues down the line.
The audio technology, dubbed Sphere Immersive Sound uses 3D audio “beamforming” and wave field synthesis to produce what the company says is controlled, consistent, and crystal-clear audio. The sound experience is consistent wherever an audience member is seated, the company added. The system uses more than 7,000 individually amplified loudspeaker drivers, giving artists and engineers more programming control and flexibility. They are able to “spatialize” audio, sending different sounds to distinct points in a theater.
“The introduction of Sphere Immersive Sound at Radio City is the next evolution in the nearly 100-year legacy of this iconic venue, and represents a significant investment in the Music Hall that will benefit all artists and guests,” said Josephine Vaccarello, EVP, Live for MSG Entertainment. “With Sphere Immersive Sound’s debut at the Beacon Theatre and the opening of Sphere in Las Vegas, we’re continuing to expand this technology across the MSG family of companies’ portfolio of venues.”
