Cosm announced Monday it will bring its fifth immersive sports and entertainment venue to Cleveland’s Gateway District through a partnership with Rock Entertainment Group and real estate developer Bedrock.
The 50,000-square-foot venue will be built at the intersection of East 4th Street, Prospect Avenue and Huron Road, directly across from Rocket Arena. Construction is expected to begin early next year with an opening planned for the first half of 2027.
Cosm will anchor Bedrock’s mixed-use “Rock Block” development on the site of a current parking lot. The project is expected to draw more than 1 million additional visitors annually to downtown Cleveland, increasing total Gateway District foot traffic to approximately 4 million.
The venue will feature a 30-meter diameter, 12K+ LED dome with wall-to-wall high-resolution displays that can seat 1,500 to 2,000 guests. Cosm uses technology called “Shared Reality” to create immersive experiences that transport viewers to major sporting events, concerts and other entertainment.
Programming will include live sports from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA basketball and football, UFC, WWE, Premier League soccer, tennis and golf through partnerships with FOX Sports, ESPN, NBC Sports, TNT Sports, CBS Sports and Amazon. The venue will also offer experiential cinema, immersive art experiences and performances including Cirque du Soleil’s production “O.”
“Cleveland has long been recognized as a premier entertainment and sport city with one of the most dedicated fan bases in the country, making it the ideal location for Cosm,” said Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group. “This groundbreaking, innovative technology represents the future of live sports and attractions.”
Cleveland will be Cosm’s fifth location after Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Detroit. The company recently broke ground on its Detroit venue, which is set to open in late 2026.
Cosm was originally planned for the Cleveland Browns’ proposed Brook Park stadium development, according to NEOtrans. Official renderings of the planned Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park showed a conceptual building containing the Cosm venue with its logo clearly visible.
Sources close to the Haslam Sports Group confirmed to NEOtrans that the Browns owners had pursued Cosm for their mixed-use development. However, what tipped the scales in favor of Downtown Cleveland was a $250 million investment in Cosm by Gilbert and Blitzer last year and the fact that the stadium financing was very unclear until last week.
“This is a major milestone for our downtown Gateway District, and the arrival of Cosm is a testament to our community’s spirit and resilience,” said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb. “This incredible venue will enhance our city’s reputation as a hub for sports and entertainment.”
While Cleveland’s Cosm will offer the same 87-foot diameter, 12K-resolution LED dome as its predecessors, Cleveland’s overall structure will be smaller at 50,000 square feet compared to 65,000 to 70,000 square feet at other locations, according to NEOtrans. The venue is expected to have slightly more than 1,000 reserved seats with additional standing room space.
The venue will include elevated food and beverage options with in-seat service. Multi-disciplinary architectural firm ROSSETTI will design the Cleveland location in partnership with Bedrock.
Site preparation work is already underway with general contractor Whiting-Turner digging a 1-acre pit 15 feet deep, then filling it with 7 feet of stone gravel to stabilize the foundation.
Rock Entertainment Group operates Rocket Arena and is responsible for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Monsters and Cleveland Charge G League basketball team, as well as the future WNBA expansion team set to debut in Cleveland in 2028.
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