Picture a day when you can start your morning with a live soccer match, spend the afternoon immersed in football, and end the night at the movies. While you’re surrounded by thousands of fellow Clevelanders inside a massive, state-of-the-art dome, you’ll feel like you’re truly there.

The Cosm Cleveland groundbreaking in the Gateway District on Thursday, April 16.This much-hyped vision is what Cosm hopes to bring to downtown Cleveland when it builds its fifth nationwide location with Cosm Cleveland in the Gateway District.

Last Thursday, April 16, Cosm, Bedrock, and Rock Entertainment Group officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at the intersection of Prospect Avenue, Huron Road, and East 4th Street. Construction is now underway.

Cosm Cleveland, which will feature a 12K+ LED dome designed to connect the virtual and physical worlds, will anchor Bedrock’s Rock Block development.

The project is also bringing the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, as well as a new live music amphitheater, to downtown Cleveland.

“Cosm chose Cleveland and they’re making a statement today,” said Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group. “Cleveland is a magnificent city powered by exceptional people. This project does not cannibalize, but it amplifies.”

“Cities that embrace the experiential economy will be the cities that win globally for the next 10, 15, or 20 years,” Bibb said at the event. “This is another testament to the Cleveland era leading the way.”

Cleveland City Council president Blaine Griffin hailed the development atop a former parking lot. “We’ve seen a lot of plans for this area, but most of all it’s been a parking lot,” he said. “We want to get rid of parking lots in the core city downtown area, and we want to have projects like this.”

Cosm Cleveland bar rendering.Of Bedrock, Griffin commented, “They put their money where their mouth is, and that’s what we appreciate in the City of Cleveland.”

Officials from both Cosm and Bedrock touted the immersive new technology, which they say has already proven popular in other cities.

“We believe we have a category defining generational business,” said Jeb Terry Jr., Cosm president. “Our goal is to employ that technology and bring that experience to life around the world.”

Stephen Winn, chair of the Cosm board, said, “You won’t just be looking at the game, you’ll be in the game.”

Cosm chose Cleveland and they’re making a statement today,” said Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group. “Cleveland is a magnificent city powered by exceptional people. This project does not cannibalize, but it amplifies.”

Cosm partners with major sports leagues and media companies—including the NBA, NFL and ESPN—to create events using advanced visual technology designed to replicate in-person experiences.

The Cleveland location, which is expected to host four major events a day, seven days a week, is slated to open in 2027. There are already locations in Los Angeles and Dallas, with additional locations in Atlanta and Detroit under construction.

In a previous press release, Cosm announced the following programming:
Cosm Cleveland arena rendering

• “A slate of live sports offerings featuring NCAA Football, NFL, UFC, NBA, MLB, WWE, NHL, Premier League (EPL) and international soccer, Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball, Tennis, Golf, and more; building on official partnerships with leagues and broadcasters including FOX Sports, ESPN, NBC Sports, TNT Sports, CBS Sports, Amazon, and more.
• Experiential cinema, expanding on the heels of Cosm unveiling the world’s first-ever cinematic presentation in Shared Reality of The Matrix, in partnership with Little Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures.
• Immersive art experiences from members of the Cosm Studios Creator Program, including world-renowned photographer and filmmaker Bo Bridges and his surfing film Big Wave; Guy Reid, filmmaker, director and cofounder of Planetary Collective; acclaimed composer and new media artist Ricardo Romaneiro; global artist and DJ Chris Holmes; award-winning new media artist Nancy Baker Cahill; and additional creators and studios to join the program in the future.
• Cirque du Soleil’s timeless production “O.”
• Additional entertainment including live music, performance, and more.”