Massive Las Vegas Sphere competitors’ debut in China with simpler setups and a Temu-like, 92% lower price point

1. Pro

Massive Las Vegas Sphere competitors’ debut in China with simpler setups and a Temu-like, 92% lower price point News By Efosa Udinmwen published 2 June 2026

Chinese megadomes would cost 8% of the Las Vegas Sphere costs

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: AV Magazine)

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Reddit
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Threads
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter

• China launches Sphere-style attractions at a fraction of Vegas costs.
• Chinese developers pursue cultural storytelling instead of spectacle alone.
• Tiangong Nova brings 16K immersive entertainment to regional audiences.

China is preparing to open two immersive spherical entertainment venues that draw inevitable comparisons with the famous Las Vegas Sphere while costing dramatically less to build.

Although both projects are considerably smaller than their American counterparts, developers appear focused on lowering costs.

Dubbed Tiangong Nova and West Bund Starry Sky, these centers seek to create regional attractions capable of supporting tourism, culture, and digital entertainment experiences.

Latest Videos FromWatch full video here: You may like

• TCL's new micro-LED TV massively cuts the price of the 'OLED-killer' tech
• Huawei’s XPixel smart headlight can project games, TV and more onto any surface
• 'We’ve got 5.5 million beautiful individually tested pixels' — Disney Adventure’s giant screen turns the middle of the ship into an immersive stage

China embraces a more affordable sphere model

Tiangong Nova is scheduled to open in Qianjiang, a city in Hubei province often referred to domestically as China's lobster capital.

The structure rises approximately 46.5 meters above ground and integrates a dome measuring 54 meters across, making it much smaller than the Las Vegas Sphere.

Its exterior includes roughly 7,500 square meters of curved LED displays, while the interior contains approximately 3,200 square meters of acoustically transparent LED panels capable of displaying 16K ultra-high-definition content.

Described as "the city's most dazzling visual symbol," there are expectations that the venue could become a major local landmark.

Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Unlike the Las Vegas Sphere, which is a huge and diverse entertainment hub, Tiangong Nova uses a more streamlined entertainment approach.

It primarily focuses on concerts and large entertainment productions, developed around regional cultural themes connected to the historic Chu civilization.

The developers have already commissioned original 16K productions inspired by local heritage.

What to read next

• China unveils 'world's first' underwater data center
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang warns of "enormous" China compute capacity
• The AI boom costs more than Apollo, ISS, and the Manhattan Project combined

This includes content created with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee, known internationally for directing Life of Pi.

Shanghai prepares its own rival attraction

The West Bund Starry Sky is planned for Shanghai, with construction expected to begin later this year.

The project carries an estimated budget of 1.2 billion yuan, or approximately $177 million.

Though the investment seems huge, it is only a measly 8% of the $2.3 billion spent on the development of the Las Vegas Sphere making this project 92% cheaper.

Developers have emphasized that the attraction is not intended to replicate the American venue and will instead "pursue a refined, Eastern aesthetic."

The waterfront location is expected to provide unobstructed river views while accommodating approximately 3,000 visitors at a time.

That capacity is significantly smaller than several competing spherical venues currently operating or under development internationally.

Both Chinese projects illustrate growing interest in immersive LED architecture without committing to the enormous budgets required by the largest entertainment complexes.

Even the planned Shanghai venue remains smaller than other reduced-scale spherical projects under consideration elsewhere, including developments linked to Sphere Entertainment.

Whether these venues ultimately achieve the cultural impact or commercial success associated with larger rivals remains uncertain.

Via AV Magazine

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Efosa UdinmwenFreelance Journalist

Efosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master's and a PhD in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking.

View More

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Televisions TCL's new micro-LED TV massively cuts the price of the 'OLED-killer' tech    Hybrid & Electric Vehicles Huawei’s XPixel smart headlight can project games, TV and more onto any surface    Entertainment 'We’ve got 5.5 million beautiful individually tested pixels' — Disney Adventure’s giant screen turns the middle of the ship into an immersive stage    Pro China unveils 'world's first' underwater data center    Pro Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang warns of "enormous" China compute capacity    AI Platforms & Assistants The AI boom costs more than Apollo, ISS, and the Manhattan Project combined    Latest in Pro Pro Microsoft AI CEO outlines hopes to build “humanist superintelligence”    Pro Microsoft’s Project Solara looks to break AI out of the PC and into the real world    Pro Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella looks to allay fears over data center energy and water use    Pro “AI is now useful”: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang thinks a new era for AI is here    Pro How a former Facebook whistleblower is being silenced 'regardless of whether what she says is true'    Pro Exactly 17 years ago, the first Nvidia-powered Windows laptop made its debut at Computex    Latest in News Pro Microsoft AI CEO outlines hopes to build “humanist superintelligence”    Pro Microsoft’s Project Solara looks to break AI out of the PC and into the real world    Pro Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella looks to allay fears over data center energy and water use    Pro “AI is now useful”: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang thinks a new era for AI is here    Pro How a former Facebook whistleblower is being silenced 'regardless of whether what she says is true'    Health & Fitness Want a Runna membership for free? All you have to do to get 2 weeks free is log a 5k on Strava on June 3    LATEST ARTICLES

1. 1‘We need an AI that places humanity first’: Microsoft AI CEO outlines hopes to build “humanist superintelligence” - and has seven new models to help him do it
2. 2Rivian boss says Level 4 autonomous driving is "much closer than people think", but Tesla is struggling to convince its own employees that the technology is reliable
3. 3'Stop duct-taping human email into machine workflows' — Hostinger unleashes Agentic Mail to fix the biggest bottleneck in AI automation
4. 4'A new approach': Microsoft CEO claims its "AI Superfactory" will use the same amount of water each year as a neighborhood restaurant
5. 5Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, June 3 (game #1591)