Stays in Vegas: London mayor rejects plan for Stratford Sphere venue

Aerial view of how MSG Sphere would have looked in Stratford, east London Photograph: The Madison Square Garden Company

It might be good enough for Las Vegas, but the Sphere – a dazzling orb-shaped 90 metre-high music venue that doubles as a giant digital billboard – is unlikely to be coming to London after the mayor rejected a planning application.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) had applied to build the 21,500-capacity structure in Stratford, east London, close to the Olympic Park.