The O2 Arena – A World Class Entertainment Destination

The O2 Arena – The First Purpose Built Music Venue Since the Royal Albert Hall in 1871:

The O2 Arena – Courtesy VisitBritain

As far as world-class entertainment venues go, The O2 in London is one of largest entertainment complexes in Europe.  Under its white iconic Dome, the biggest of its type in the world, The O2 houses a state-of-the-art live music club (indigO2), an 11-screen multiplex cinema with the biggest screen in London, an interactive museum of popular music (the British Music Experience), Entertainment Avenue with bars, restaurants and leisure attractions, and taking pride of place is The O2 Arena.

Jaw-dropping Concerts at The O2 Arena

With a capacity of 23,000, The O2 Arena plays host to jaw-dropping concerts by the most sought after names in rock, pop and classical music. Popular sporting events are also staged here, as well as theatrical productions, shows and exhibitions for all the family!  The O2 Arena was also one of the venues for the 2012 London Olympics.  See what’s on at The O2 and book tickets here.

From Millennium Dome to The O2

Many will recognize The O2 as the Millennium Dome. It was built to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition to celebrate the third millennium. The exhibition opened to the public on January 1, 2000 but by the end of that year it was already deemed a failure. Visitor numbers were much lower than projected leaving the government with a building which people referred to as the ‘White Elephant’ – yes, unfortunately the Dome is white. The Dome was leased in 2001 for redevelopment as an entertainment complex.

In May 2005, the Dome was re-branded The O2, as naming right to the structure was sold to the telecommunications company O2 Plc. This luckily turned out to be an auspicious name as oxygen (O2) breathed new life into the complex. Within seven months of its opening in 2007, The O2 Arena was already the third most popular entertainment venue in the world in terms of ticket sales. And in 2008, The O2 Arena pipped Manchester Evening News Arena (MEN Arena) to become the world’s busiest music arena. MEN Arena held that title since 2001.

Where is the O2 Arena

The O2 Arena and its facilities are housed in an independent building within the O2 dome structure (see O2 Arena plan) . The large dome-shaped building is located on the Greenwich Peninsula in South London. You’ll also see O2 Arena referred to as North Greenwich Arena.

Address:
The O2
Peninsula Square
London
SE10 0DX
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7536 2600

How to Get to The O2

By Tube
Take the Jubilee Line to North Greenwich for The O2 (Zone 2).

By Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Rail goes through Canary Wharf and Canning Town. From either of these two stops, catch the Tube (Jubilee Line) and it is just one stop to North Greenwich for The O2.

By Eurostar
If you’re coming from the Continent, the Eurostar London base is St Pancras.  From St Pancras jump on the Northern Line down to London Bridge and then change for the Jubilee Line to North Greenwich.

By Bus
There are eight TfL bus routes operating to and from The O2 including three 24-hour bus services. Key destinations include Stratford, Charlton, Greenwich, Lewisham, Woolwich, Eltham, North Kent and Central London. For timetable information, visit www.tfl.gov.uk.

For O2 Arena hotels see HERE.

Map of London:

Click here to get a free PDF of this post