While Brazil has been discussing the Maracanã renovation for 25 years and struggles to keep the Arena MorumBis open, Abu Dhabi signs a $1.7 billion deal to build the world's second Sphere on an artificial island, with 20,000 seats, by 2029.

While Brazil has been discussing the Maracanã renovation for 25 years and struggles to keep the Arena MorumBis open, Abu Dhabi signs a $1.7 billion deal to build the world’s second Sphere on an artificial island, with 20,000 seats, by 2029.

Written by Douglas Avila

Published on 25/05/2026 at 07:16

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While Brazil has been debating the definitive renovation of the Maracanã for over 25 years and struggles to keep the Arena MorumBis open with a guaranteed schedule, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi has signed a contract worth US$ 1.7 billion to erect the world’s second Sphere on an artificial island in the Persian Gulf, with 20,000 seats and an opening planned for the third quarter of 2029.

The announcement came from the DCT Abu Dhabi office on May 23.

The company chosen to carry out the work is ALEC Holdings, the same local company that executed the Etihad Arena in Yas Bay, a recurring venue for New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Emirati capital.

The contract covers design, engineering, supply chain, and construction. Turn-key package.

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The scale that makes the Sphere a headline-generating machine

The planned capacity for the Sphere Abu Dhabi is 20,000 people, the same level as the Las Vegas Sphere inaugurated in 2023.

The original unit on the Strip cost US$ 2.3 billion and is 111 meters tall, taller than a 35-story building.

Since its inauguration, it has become a postcard of Las Vegas, visible from any point on the Strip.

Its facade, named Exosphere, is currently the largest LED screen in the world, with a programmable area capable of displaying video in ultra-high resolution.

The Abu Dhabi unit will replicate this scale, with an external surface also programmable, according to Sphere Entertainment.

Sphere Las Vegas illuminated at night with programmable LED Exosphere facade displaying colorful patterns

ALEC and Sphere Entertainment, the duo behind the contract

ALEC Holdings is one of the major contractors in the Persian Gulf, with over two decades of projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

It has worked on stadiums, luxury hotels, airport terminals, and the Etihad Arena itself.

Barry Lewis, CEO of ALEC Holdings, spoke at the announcement about a “world-class venue, rooted and managed from the emirate, committed to Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision.”

Sean McQue, director of the construction division, described the project as “technically complex and architecturally ambitious,” capable of demanding “precision at all levels.”

Sphere Entertainment, owner of the original American unit, enters as a conceptual partner of the operation.

The company’s president, James Dolan, and the chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, appeared together at the announcement.

The contracts foresee three pre-defined revenue streams: Sphere Experiences, concert residencies, and brand events.

The first is the company’s proprietary product, immersive multisensory experiences with film, directional sound, and synchronized effects.

The concert residencies follow the model that U2, Phish, and Eagles repeated in Las Vegas, with several weeks of shows at the same venue.

Brand events include product launches, corporate events, MMA, technology conferences, and anything involving a giant screen and premium tickets.

The contrast with the Brazilian arena landscape

The contrast with Brazil appears in any direct schedule comparison.

The Maracanã underwent renovation for the 2014 World Cup at a cost of US$ 500 million, but the operation remained in dispute between Flamengo, Fluminense, and the State of Rio in the following years.

The management model expired in 2024, and the stadium is in an administrative limbo while blocking revenue from the two wealthiest fan bases in the Southeast.

The definitive renovation, sold as the “new Maracanã,” is stalled by a blocked bidding process, scarce public resources, and a legal impasse that has dragged on for over a decade.

The Arena MorumBis, formerly Pacaembu modernized by private initiative, managed to reopen in 2025 but suffers from a pending construction schedule, labor lawsuits, and a dispute over naming rights.

The original Pacaembu renovation budget was around R$ 700 million, a value that today, with exchange rates and inflation, is less than half of what Abu Dhabi signed just for this sphere.

Almost four times the price of the Pacaembu renovation, in a single arena.

I imagine the surprise of a Brazilian reader when seeing this calculation, and the point is not to defend foreign spending: what truly shocks is the execution speed on one side against the chronic institutional paralysis on the other.

Maracanã crowded during a football match in Rio de Janeiro with fans filling all the stands

An aggressive schedule until 2029

The consortium’s goal is to deliver the Sphere Abu Dhabi by the third quarter of 2029.

The schedule considers the project from start to finish in about three years and two months, a timeline similar to the Las Vegas unit.

The difference is that the land on Yas Island is already leveled and has all the urban infrastructure ready. The construction goes straight to the foundation.

DCT Abu Dhabi estimates incremental tourist revenue in the first year of operation above US$ 300 million.

The calculation is based on a high average ticket price and occupancy above half the capacity in the first twelve months.

Brazil has 207 million inhabitants and a live music market approaching US$ 1 billion annually.

Even so, there is no immersive arena project even at the feasibility stage in the three largest Brazilian cities today.

I confess this part is the most bothersome because it shows that the Brazilian bottleneck is not a lack of market, but rather a lack of executive ambition and coordination between private and public sectors.

The Sphere Abu Dhabi begins to rise from the ground in the coming months. Brazil continues debating.

And you, can Brazil still build an immersive arena of this level in the next 10 years? Comment below.

While Brazil has been discussing the Maracanã renovation for 25 years and struggles to keep the Arena MorumBis open, Abu Dhabi signs a $1.7 billion deal to build the world’s second Sphere on an artificial island, with 20,000 seats, by 2029.

The scale that makes the Sphere a headline-generating machine

ALEC and Sphere Entertainment, the duo behind the contract

The contrast with the Brazilian arena landscape

An aggressive schedule until 2029

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While Brazil has been discussing the Maracanã renovation for 25 years and struggles to keep the Arena MorumBis open, Abu Dhabi signs a $1.7 billion deal to build the world’s second Sphere on an artificial island, with 20,000 seats, by 2029.

The scale that makes the Sphere a headline-generating machine

ALEC and Sphere Entertainment, the duo behind the contract

The contrast with the Brazilian arena landscape

An aggressive schedule until 2029

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Cristiano Ronaldo builds a billion-dollar mansion in Portugal with 54,000 square feet, a 3-acre plot facing the Atlantic, private spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and an estimated value of an impressive R$ 385 million.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

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