I think they're putting seats in the greyish area to make a full lower bowl... at least that's the impression I got from the seating chart when I booked my NHL tickets.

Yes, of course.
In the O2dome there will be seats whereas in the O2world there will be standing terraces in the Icehockey layout for the fans who dont want to sit.
Point is that the upper tier will be left empty in both arenas.

Opens a week today.

The Square has already opened.

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/web/f/n/r/PeninsulaSquaredusk.jpg

Square launched for Greenwich Peninsula
14 June, 2007

By Helen Crump

This is Barr Gazetas’ £15 million Peninsula Square, which was launched today to serve as a focal point for the planned Greenwich Peninsula development.

A big as Leicester Square, it incorporates a stainless steel spire more than 40m tall, a “video wall” and several fountains which use mains water and gathered rainwater to create mist and geyser effects.

The square, which will host special events, festivals and performances, also has a growing “green wall”, a musical story wall, light effects and granite paving patterns inspired by the Greenwich meridian.

Barr Gazetas worked with landscape architects Whitelaw Turkington and The Fountain Workshop to create the space, which practice director Alistair Barr said was inspired by the area’s past as an industrial site.

He told BD: “What we recognised was that [Greenwich Peninsula] has always been a place for engineering. Whether the spire, the screen or the fountain, we wanted everything to be innovative.”

Barr said the spire had been inspired by a shell sitting on his office desk. The fountains, with their bubbling geyser effects are a reference to the area’s history as a gasworks.

Foreign Office Architects’ proposed Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication will face onto the square, with the O2 (previously the Dome) opposite.

The £5 billion regeneration of the 80ha Greenwich Peninsula area is being led by Land Lease and Quintain Estates and Development, with English Partnerships, and includes 10,000 new homes.

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/web/e/t/b/Spire.jpg

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/web/h/i/d/PeninsulaSquare.jpg

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/web/g/n/x/PeninulaSquareday.jpg

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/web/n/v/q/PeninsulaSquareday1.jpg

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/web/i/o/r/PeninsulaSqaureperformancewallandspire.jpg

New college building proposed next to the square.

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/web/v/o/g/RavensbourneCGI.jpg

Starting to see some adverts on TV for this now.

I'm hardly surprised. The area around the Dome looks pretty impressive.

http://news.etnow.com/etnews.nsf/0/773b75041231b696802572fe003e85f0?OpenDocument

http://news.etnow.com/etnews.nsf/a7111.jpg!OpenImageResource

I just saw the inside of the dome on the news - it was all going so well, things looked quite nice, until the presenter mentioned the Plastic Palm trees............Plastic fucking Palm trees??????? Bloody hell, give strength - where is the style, the class?? This is just tacky and cheap in a Vegas/Dubai'esqe kind of way.

Plastic Palm Trees....i dispair :ohno:

http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/74847622.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193395A77F763DF9CD748C02C7C3F8CE272

http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/74847610.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193395A77F763DF9CD74E60C8C1ACACCA4C

http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/74847475.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193395A77F763DF9CD776022AD343963527

http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/74847596.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193395A77F763DF9CD7924F5F15FA822E61

http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/74847484.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193395A77F763DF9CD72D12C34EF30CD210

The Restaurnats opening in TheO2

• Gary Rhodes - a history of stunning restaurants has won him a constellation of Michelin stars and he is consistently revered by his peers as The Chef's Chef.

• Frankie & Benny’s - a New York Italian restaurant.

• Inc Brassiere - offers stylish ambience with High Street prices, complimented with a wine list packed with classic French favourites.

• Las Iguanas - a tasty blend of traditional and contemporary South American food, fresh ingredients and plenty of Latin hospitality.

• Nando’s - originating from South Africa with a Portuguese-theme, Nando’s specialises in flame-grilled chicken dishes.

• PizzaExpress - brings the true tastes of Italy to The O2.

• S & M café - prides itself in preparing the highest quality British dishes daily from the finest freshest ingredients.

• Spur Steak Ranches - this South African family steak house is renowned for its famous signature steaks, generous portions and extremely tasty food.

• Starbucks Coffee Company - the largest coffeehouse company in the world comes to The O2.

• Thai Silk restaurant & bar - renowned for serving the freshest of ingredients this Thai Silk has a buzz that can only be attributed to the consistent quality of the food being served.

• Urban Inc - a contemporary and stylish cocktail bar mixing influences old and new.

• Wasabi - the new style of sushi of comes to The O2. It is an ideal answer to those uninspired lunches and dinners.

• Water Margin - this oriental buffet restaurant is designed along clean, modern lines where diners can enjoy oriental cuisine in a stylish atmosphere at an affordable price.

• Zizzi - an impressive Italian restaurant chain with a variety of Italian dishes, calzones, pizza and pasta, all at reasonable prices.

nando's and spur...cool.

S & M cafe?! :lol:

S & M cafe?! :lol:

gotta cater for all sorts of people:lol:

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/954/02em6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

As we can see most of the spaces are let there are only 4 coming soons and one big one with is set to open in November 2007 it says

Would be nice to get some other shops in there apart from the usual chains. I expect if the casino space isn't expected to be turned into anything soon they will extend the Entertainment Avenue around and make more places.

I know it sounds really sad, but does this Avenue remind anyone of the Promenade on Star Trek Deep Space Nine? It was an incredibly similar idea of having entertainment space around a centrepiece, albeit on a smaller and sci-fi scale.

http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/en/images/d/d4/Promenade_floor_plan.gif

Ah, what would we do without the Evening Standard, always there to kick the boot in at any opportunity.

The new £350m Dome (Yes, the flop that's already swallowed up £758m of your money)
21.06.07

It was supposed to be the envy of the world, but ended up as one of the Government's biggest white elephants.

Now the new bosses of the Millennium Dome want to put the past firmly behind them as they relaunch the project as The O2, a £350million entertainment complex.

Its arena - pictured here for the first time - is billed as one of London's top music venues and will open on June 24 with a Bon Jovi concert.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_02/domeDM_468x313.jpg

Back in business: Workers put the finsihing touches to the 23,000-seat O2 arena at the heart of the complex in Greenwich

More than 1.2million tickets have also been sold for concerts by Barbara Streisand, Prince and the Rolling Stones in the near future.
The original Dome was a Tory idea which was seized on by Tony Blair as a symbol of his bright New Labour government.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_02/dome1DM_228x360.jpg

Trial run: Crowds in the complex this week

But it became mired in controversy as costs spiralled to an astonishing £758million.
Transport problems marred its big night on December 31, 1999, and a much-derided exhibition failed to attract half the predicted number of visitors.
The Dome then stood empty and unwanted in Greenwich, South London, until new owners AEG Europe took over.

The 20,000-seat arena is just part of the vast entertainment complex under the Dome. There is also a smaller music venue, a cinema complex, an exhibition centre, restaurants and bars. There is even an artificial-beach - which will be transformed into an ice-rink in winter.
But hopes of opening Britain's first super-casino were dashed when Manchester was picked instead. The O2 will, however, be the venue for gymnastics and basketball at the 2012 Olympics.

Two days ago, 12,000 local people were invited to the arena to watch an evening of entertainmentand help check for unexpected hiccups. They found one immediately - technicians could not locate the light switch and the arena was stuck in semidarkness for 20 minutes.

Some might have seen that as evidence that the Dome is still jinxed, but AEG Europe president David Campbell insisted: 'The evening was a big success. We've had extremely positive feedback from everyone.'

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_02/Domegraphic_468x182.jpg

Opening tomorrow, have to say the timescale for its opening is incredibly tight, I think they might just about have completed the arena in time.

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2007282116,00.jpg

Quoting Evening Standard...The new £350m Dome (Yes, the flop that's already swallowed up £758m of your money)
21.06.07


The really are a bunch of tits arent they! They know full very well that the cash was spent on cleaning a huge contaminated brown field site so that it could be regenerated. Anyway what is all this bollocks about "your money" people spend their money on the lottery to gamble, not to give to charity. Jounalists really are the tarts of spin and hypocrisy!

Plastic Palm Trees....i dispair :ohno:

I know I wish they had a decent architect desiging the interior. Still it is a good development just not a perfect one from an architectural point of view.

They are also incredibly lazy, as half those quotes are from the Daily Mail, a paper left in the pub, which I briefly read whilst I was waiting for a friend. Typical of this stable of papers, "your money" I thought the last £350 million was all private money, low and behold tucked away deep in the article it is.

Not a good story in saying that though.

Anyway I must get back to an article and how none of us are responsible enough to use a casino as we will all become addicts

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6225452.stm

video tour of the dome

I must say that the arena aspect of the Dome is very impressive. It's great... now the UK has two NHL/NBA style arenas whcih can compare to their N. American rivals. In addition, with other cities such as Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, Brighton etc building their own (allbeit smaller) arena the music and sporting (hopefully in particular ice hockey!) scene is looking bright!

I have to agree on the plastic palm trees but everything else is top notch. :)

Fair play, the Dome has been turned around very well. It looks excellent inside.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/622490043_c256841b20_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1291/622490081_f23c48aa0a_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1004/622490147_f7a9ed3925_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1374/622490135_f640b7b049_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1125/621025364_367daeaa9c_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1229/621026052_4b2ac809be_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1272/620307917_ee6ff2f531_o.jpg

Eugh. You like Bon Jovi?! Thanks for the pictures...

they're not my pictures big boy - i snatched them off flickr. and you know why? because i live to serve, to serve people like you.

now can you change your avatar please? it's making me want to self-harm.

I'm really disappointed with this. the corporate boxes have really compromised the interior of the arena. Also, what happened with the capacity? They seem to have constantly reduced it until it's ended up less than 500 more than the MEN arena.

Thanks for the pics.

Looks Great

looks good

I'm really disappointed with this. the corporate boxes have really compromised the interior of the arena. Also, what happened with the capacity? They seem to have constantly reduced it until it's ended up less than 500 more than the MEN arena.

um, what is the official capacity? I've heard 20K, 23K and 30K!!!!

I guess it depends on the event.

23,000

i think it looks great

I'm really disappointed with this. the corporate boxes have really compromised the interior of the arena.

I don't understand people who moan about things like this. It's the same with Wembley. How do you expect these arenas and stadiums to make a profit if they don't have them?

I don't understand people who moan about things like this. It's the same with Wembley. How do you expect these arenas and stadiums to make a profit if they don't have them?

Its not really that hard to understand, in regards to Wembley and closer to home, Ashburton Grove (Emirates), the exec boxes/executive tiers are mainly full of people who couldnt actually give a toss, hence why when you watch a match at Arsenal those seats are still empty 10 minutes into the second half. The same could be seen during the Chelsea:United final. helps to kill the atmosphere of the game along with no standing no swearing etc etc. (ill stop before I go off on one)

Obviously they are needed to make a profit, but its not hard to see why people object to them.

Saying that though I wouldnt have thought they were as much of an issue with the 02, compared to football grounds.

um, what is the official capacity? I've heard 20K, 23K and 30K!!!!

I guess it depends on the event.

The capacity of the O2 for concerts is 23,000, compared to 22,500 for the MEN.

I don't understand people who moan about things like this. It's the same with Wembley. How do you expect these arenas and stadiums to make a profit if they don't have them?

I wouldn't mind so much if they had it in two tiers, but grouping both tiers together segregates the crowd and has a massive impact on the atmosphere due to the reduced intimacy.

it looks class. stop moaning or daddy eden will start giving out slaps.

From opening night:

http://www.imagehosting.com/out.php/i823858_42420276domefireworkspa416.jpg

Bon Jovi played there:

http://www.imagehosting.com/out.php/i823885_42420280domeoutsidegetty416.jpg

^^ wow - love the fireworks.

Wouldnt it be great if they did a similar thing on New Years eve....we'd have the London eye with its spectacular display, and the dome with another stunner. :)

Wouldnt it be great if they did a similar thing on New Years eve....we'd have the London eye with its spectacular display, and the dome with another stunner. :)

I've said that before but many accused me of being mad - but I'll say it again, the o2 will be the east end's London Eye in terms of an icon for the masses to convene on for city-wide celebrations. In fact, with Greenwich in the background, the Prime Meridian lit up and fireworks coming from the twelve pylons I can see this being the de rigeur position to welcome in each new year. On TV being beamed across the world it will look spectacular.

Sounds good to me - imagine the scene from a helicopter on NYE - the London Eye and the O2 dazzling the world with a synchronous eruption of fireworks. :D

It would also hopefully space the crowds out a bit more evenly across the city....last year i was stuck on the Strand and the crowd started pushing and shoving....not a pretty scene, some people fainted. Greenwich Park could handle some big crowds quite easily.

^^ Nice idea, would be great for the 2012 olympics since the Dome is a venue. Also if other venues including Wembley with fireworks coming off the arch during the opening ceremony simultaneously it would look awesome.

Apologies if it's already been posted, but i don't recall seeing this render before.
Gymnastics 2012:
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6425/gymnasticsdomerk9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

lol as if that many people would turn out

Surprisingly gymnastics is by far one of the most popular events at an summer olympics. (a bit like ice skating at the Winter Games)

Went to the dome last night just to have a nosie, seeing as I live pretty close.

Overall i was very impressed. It was very busy (Snow Patrol were playing). the walkway was well done, plenty of space and didn't feel closed in (high ceeling).

I was surprised at the lack of retail spaces there?

Found these clips of opening night:

Ad9x0xgohZo

those tiers look so steep

R4FGKYgp3Fw&NR=1

that firework display was good :)

The Dome looks like a big birthday cake in that firework video! It's well worth a watch.

Nice, but i hate the way the top tier ends abruptly, give me a full bowl anyday!

O2 Arena To Host Tennis Masters Cup For 4yrs From 2009 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6264650.stm)

Excellent News. We need top level tennis in the UK all year round, rather than just for two rain delayed weeks in 'Summer'

A major Coup for the 02 ;)

9.10pm tonight, itv1 - khan v limond at the O2.

I quite like the O2 Advert.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce4QCvCNOwM

back to the design of the O2 has anyone been there and taken pictures yet? :)

back to the design of the O2 has anyone been there and taken pictures yet? :)

Yes there's loads on the previous pages of this thread.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1420/871389141_e398853f10_b.jpg

anyone going? it'll be interesting to see it in the different modes...

29th, 30th Sept: The NHL will open the 2007/2008 season with two games with West-Coast teams, the LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks, in The O2 arena, here in London (Sold Out)

10th October: The 2007 NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™ will mark a series of firsts in the NBA’s 19-year history of conducting games in Europe. The Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves will play in the first basketball game at The O2, London’s new state of the art NBA style arena.

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/13/752622047c94f311514bpa1.jpg

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/6244/02domezy1.jpg

(edit: first pic thanks to source from flickr).

HA HA are going to be opening at The O2


Coming soon!
Two new HA HA's will be opening shortly, one in the Trafford Center and the other in the new 02 Centre, London.

http://www.hahaonline.co.uk/

Saw Prince there awesome - and a great arena to boat.

17,551 there for the NHL game today, not that much really I thought this place held more?

17,551 there for the NHL game today, not that much really I thought this place held more?

in ice hockey mode that's the capacity - it was a sell out.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1424/1459354935_c8c593270b_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1045/1460214528_ba51df9e30_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1019/1459410143_58d141c68c_b.jpg

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwsome.


Yes, Ice Hockey will usually be a few thousand below full capacity.

As is seen in the giant arenas of the USA.

all north american NHL arenas have a capacity of between 16,000 and 20,000 [source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL)], so at 17,500 the O2 really is up there with the best of them.

Here are more pics...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1044/1460253588_610d3c681f_o.jpg
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif

Fricking Fantastic, I think the way the top bowl is broken up into a horseshoe shape works pretty well.




ON TIME AND ON BUDGET!

The lights went out and didn't come back on for a while I heard.

about a 15 minute delay. i was watching on NASN. the american/canadian commentators spent most of that time bigging up london, etc, thankfully.

If the O2 had a perfect bowl its capacity would be around 20,000.

The biggest arenas are not much bigger in size the main difference is simply the bowl shape.

Scotiabank Place, Ottawa

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1093/1240462639_9e808d0c02_b.jpg

Bell Centre, Montreal

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1028/1454968999_1fc3a014f4_b.jpg

^Is it possible to turn the O2 into a complete bowl?

umm... i don't think they would need to as the current capacity is near the top end of most arenas. however im not sure if it is possible to expand, my guess would be they could if they wanted to.

It depends how the arena has been built within the dome. If it has been built off centre then I would say almost definately not as they would have no dome to play with.

Well it was built to be mainly a concert venue, hence the horse shoe shape so that the stage could be placed at one end. Theres no reason to increase capacity.

NBA teams put on London showcase
By Rob Dugdale at the O2 Arena

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/233/baskxg6.jpg

Ray Allen stole the show for Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ran out comfortable winners of the NBA Europe Live game, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 92-81 at the O2 Arena.

Ray Allen stole Kevin Garnett's thunder by scoring 28 points, including five three-pointers.

The Celtics pulled away either side of the half-time interval to post a 12-point lead after three quarters.

Garnett finished with just nine points. Ricky Davis led the Timberwolves' scoring with 18 points.

Britain can look forward to hosting further NBA games in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, according to NBA Commissioner David J. Stern.

Although the commissioner would not be drawn on any specifics, he said: "It's fair to say that the conversations with respect to that have begun."

The game at the O2 is the first time the NBA has played a live game in Britain since 1995, but Stern's words of 24 hours earlier - that the UK has been the NBA's toughest market to crack in Europe - looked accurate with a number of empty seats at tip-off.

Those seats filled up in the first quarter and the NBA are unlikely to be deterred. "Thank you Great Britain and we look forward to returning," Stern told a news conference.

There is even speculation that the NBA may site its annual All-Star Game in London in the near future, an idea Stern says "gets knocked around a lot".

"KG (Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett) told me it would be a good idea to do it, hopefully before he retires," joked Stern.

"The players would like it, but there are not immediate plans."

But with the NHL already having come to London this summer and the NFL due to arrive within the week, visits by the major American sporting leagues look set to become a feature of the British autumn.

"What the O2 does is provide the opportunity for an NBA-style experience because of the lighting, the rigging, the video boards, the music system," said Stern.

"It's fun to be able to come to buildings that are more modern and give the fans a better experience."

We're going to do whatever we can to help grow the game of basketball in Britain

NBA Commissioner David J. Stern

Stern also revealed that he will be meeting a number of officials in British basketball and the Ministry of Sport, as well as the Olympic Games organising committee.

"Our research is that in Great Britain, basketball is the third most-played sport among those aged 18 and over.

"We're going to do whatever we can to help grow the game of basketball in Britain," he said.

"That's anything we can do by the way of training, coaching, games, preparation, you name it.

"We're really thrilled that Great Britain qualified for European Division A. Everything seems to be coming together as we head towards 2012."

from thehutch (http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehutch/1536627773/), flickr:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2023/1536627773_f279c5f0aa_b.jpg

I have to say, the horseshoe end seems a little disappointing. All that seems to be there is a few dining tables and some large posts. It seems a huge waste of space that could have been taken up by more spectators. Corporate dining could surely have been held in the executive boxes created in a full bowl arena. The place really could have been a record breaker.

My Flickr Image....
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1406/1478331056_0a639eb2ab_b.jpg

I think it looks pretty decent alhough it would have looked better as a complete bowl.

Why are most of these pics taken from that side where the incomplete bowl is shown? :ohno:

the other angle is way better :)

I think it looks fantastic...even like that.

So much better than I thought.


It's very well done.

I agree that the horseshoe spoils the aesthetics. I guess it could be made complete all the way round in the future with a bit of decent engineering? clearly this won't happen though as it was never a question of capacity, more how much money could be made from corporate/VIP hospitality.

clearly this won't happen though as it was never a question of capacity, more how much money could be made from corporate/VIP hospitality.

No, it wasn't done because there isn't enough room for the 'behind the stage' area as well as the top half of the horsehoe inside that part of the Dome. When you see an aerial plan it makes sense.

O2 to be most popular venue in world
Amar Singh, Evening Standard
16.11.07

The O2 arena is on course to be named the world's most popular venue this year with ticket sales set to exceed one million.

The 20,000-seater auditorium in the former Millennium Dome will overtake New York's Madison Square Gardens as the venue to have sold the most tickets in the year - despite only opening in June.

The milestone will cap a remarkably successful start for the Greenwich complex now run by US entertainment giant AEG.

It comes as the O2 revealed that U2 will host "multiple" nights there next year. New figures released by concert database Pollstar shows the arena's three-month ticket sale of 601,056 is beaten only by those of Madison Square Gardens, Manchester Evening News Arena and Wembley Arena - sold over nine months. With several big name in the run-up to Christmas, the O2 is predicted to comfortably overtake all three.

The arena opened in June with Bon Jovi and has hosted some of the world's biggest names including Prince, the Rolling Stones and Barbra Streisand.

O2 to be most popular venue in world
Amar Singh, Evening Standard
16.11.07

The O2 arena is on course to be named the world's most popular venue this year with ticket sales set to exceed one million.

The 20,000-seater auditorium in the former Millennium Dome will overtake New York's Madison Square Gardens as the venue to have sold the most tickets in the year - despite only opening in June.

The milestone will cap a remarkably successful start for the Greenwich complex now run by US entertainment giant AEG.

It comes as the O2 revealed that U2 will host "multiple" nights there next year. New figures released by concert database Pollstar shows the arena's three-month ticket sale of 601,056 is beaten only by those of Madison Square Gardens, Manchester Evening News Arena and Wembley Arena - sold over nine months. With several big name in the run-up to Christmas, the O2 is predicted to comfortably overtake all three.

The arena opened in June with Bon Jovi and has hosted some of the world's biggest names including Prince, the Rolling Stones and Barbra Streisand.

bloody hell, the O2 is doing very well!

the O2 and the MEN sell many tickets because so many different events are being staged there since both arenas dont have a regular host.
Calling it the "most popular" is going a bit overboard.

Dreamlike Blue fog

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9289/o2fogssc1hi7oj7.jpg

the O2 and the MEN sell many tickets because so many different events are being staged there since both arenas dont have a regular host.
Calling it the "most popular" is going a bit overboard.

Eh I dont understand your point? Surely the idea of a venue is that it does host different events?!?!

I still can't believe the o2 has only been open six months, it feels so much longer. Fair enough, I've been there quite a bit, but I'm amazed how London has absorbed another modern icon and venue into its fabric and everyone knows about it.

It's going to be an awesome iconic venue for the Olympics.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2244/2127068764_085bcb5e67_o.jpg

whats it being used for in the olympics? basketball?

Gymnastics and basketball finals.

No, it wasn't done because there isn't enough room for the 'behind the stage' area as well as the top half of the horsehoe inside that part of the Dome. When you see an aerial plan it makes sense.

Also while most of the shots we've seen have been from sporting events the venue's main business is to host concerts which wouldnt be able to use a higher tier behind the stage anyway. Thats why the attendance of the O2 increases so much compaired to most areas for those events, it gains seats in the playing area but doesnt lose as many behind the stage.

The supprizing thing for me is that its taken so long for this kind of venue to be built in London given Wembley area's small size and Earls Court's bad acoustics.

Great Pic Darjole :yes:

The Louisiana Superdome claim to the be the worlds largest indoor arena.

It's got a 'concert capacity' of 20,000. However, it's also got a maximum 'football capacity' of 72,003. So I don't know where they're squeezing the other 52,003 people.

The Super Dome doesn't use the top tiers for concerts.

Royal Albert Hall and O2 named best live venues in world
Evening Standard
08.02.08

http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02/dome_415x275.jpg

London has been hailed the live entertainment centre of the world as the O2 arena and the Royal Albert Hall last night picked up prestigious concert industry awards in the US.

The 20,000-capacity O2, built within the former Millennium Dome in Greenwich, was voted Best New Concert Venue and Best International Arena of the Year at the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards at LA's Nokia Theatre. The Royal Albert Hall, the 19th-century Kensington venue, was named International Theatre Of The Year.

Both venues had a hugely successful 2007, particularly the O2 which sold more than a million

tickets. Despite only opening in June, it hosted concerts by the Rolling Stones, the Spice Girls, Barbra Streisand, Prince and Led Zeppelin's "comeback gig of the decade".

Accepting its two awards, David Campbell, CEO of AEG Europe which owns and operates the O2, quoted rockers Linkin Park who recently played there. "Leave it to London to build the biggest, baddest venue in the world," he said.

The Royal Albert Hall has won praise for revamping its proms and gala calendar with edgier concerts.

^^ can't say im surprised :happy:

me either seems that london is the place to be for everything one truley great city

I only went to two events in 2007. Madam Butterfly at the Royal Albert Hall and Prince at the O2. I guess I must have taste.

and the Evening Standard eating humble pie too :cheers:

Now its an unmitigated success, you never hear a peep about it from the Mail or Express anymore....

It may have been incredibly succesful commercially but the design of the new inserts is terrible the Disneyland esque art-deco cinema, plastic looking palm trees and the fact that theyve tried to squeeze in too much really does make it a quite unpleasant place to be. It was supposed to rival the west end as a destination and i dont think it has been successful in doing that.

It will be once the Peninsula is built up.

It may have been incredibly succesful commercially but the design of the new inserts is terrible the Disneyland esque art-deco cinema, plastic looking palm trees and the fact that theyve tried to squeeze in too much really does make it a quite unpleasant place to be. It was supposed to rival the west end as a destination and i dont think it has been successful in doing that.

internal decor is just flexible detail. The venue has done so well that critics are silenced. Pyschologically it is a bit out on the limb but that is just an historical alignment issue London has. The Dome is just part of a greater realignment strategy which also includes the Olympics, Canary Wharf, (the hopefully rethought out) Thames Gateway and the Greenwich Peninsular. It will take 20 years before those fruits come to bare.

It will be once the Peninsula is built up.


Ive been wondering about that, is there any actual solid plans - other than the masterplan - or a timescale for the Peninsular.

I still cant imagine the Dome in itself ever being a true rival to the west end for Londoners or tourists alike. Afterall it is essentially just an arena. The west end will always have more to offer.

Last night World Wrestling Entertainment held their first ever show at the O2 Arena - a TV taping of WWE Raw. It was also my first show at the O2. I was surprised how compact the arena seems compared to photos I've seen of it. It actually felt smaller than the Manchester Evening News Arena (although it isn't). Despite being on the balcony, I still got a great view and also checked out the back row of the balcony and they had a pretty good view too.

Anyway, here's some photos and a crowd pan video from a great night.



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http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=s7D2vQrAC6s

^^ wow i must've missed that. i would've got some tickets :( (not that i care much for wrestling anymore)

I havn't watched wrestling in 5 years.

But I'd have done anything to at least catch a glimpse of some of the guys I idolised back then.

Triple H and such.

saw it on T.V (Raw & Smackdown), it looked pretty big :eek:

Anschutz seeks consent on final portion of the O2
17:28 | 13.08.08
By Jonathan Brasse

Anschutz Entertainment Group has lodged an outline planning application with Greenwich council for the final 30% of the O2 entertainment centre.

The US entertainment group plans to develop 250,000 sq ft of leisure facilities within the centre although it is yet to decide what will be developed.

A spokeswoman said: ‘This would maximise the amount of floor-space we could use. We are looking at a number of options for the space but nothing has been decided yet.’

The O2, formerly known as the Dome, has been open since the turn of the millennium and currently is used for sporting and musical events. It also includes restaurants such as American Bar & Grill, Gaucho and Pizza Express.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=297&storycode=3120451&c=1

O2 tops bills as world's favourite pop venue
(http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23618819-details/O2+tops+bills+as+world%27s+favourite+pop+venue/article.do)Amar Singh
14.01.09

LONDON'S O2 arena has broken records to become the world's most popular music arena for the second year in a row.

Official figures released by industry publication Pollstar show the Greenwich venue sold nearly two million tickets last year.

Pollstar says the 1,806, 447 total is the highest figure since it started monitoring annual ticket sales in 2000. The figure for the 20,000-seat arena inside the former Millennium Dome is attributable to sell-out shows by Kylie Minogue, the Eagles, Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, the Spice Girls and Sir Elton John.

The world's next most-visited arena last year was New York's Madison Square Gardens where there were more than 500,000 ticket sales than the O2.

But it was bad news for Wembley Arena which has struggled to compete since its east London rival opened for business in 2007. The 12,500-capacity venue - once London's most popular - was listed 38th in the world.

Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of Pollstar said: "This is certainly the highest year-end tickets sales we have had since our records began in 2000. The O2 has made a massive impact on the global concert business."

Arena chiefs hope that another flurry of big name acts this year including Britney Spears, Tina Turner, The Killers, Beyoncé, Pink, AC/DC, and Bob Dylan will help the venue break the two million mark.

Venue Ticket sales

1. O2 arena, London - 1,806, 447

2. Madison Square Gardens, New York - 1,161,035

3. Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester - 1,157,892

4. Sportpaleis Antwerpen Merksem, Belgium - 889,137

5. Air Canada Centre, Toronto - 723,469

Source: Pollstar

Surely the reason for the gap between 1st and 2nd is that Madison Square Garden is predominently a sports venue hosting at a guess 100 games a year (Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, playoffs) compared to hardly any at the 02

your point being?!?!

My point is that if that if MSG were soley a music venue it would take the number one spot, just to make the comparison fair :cheers:

but why would it? Thats like saying that Wembley stadium would be up there if you extrapolated the odd giant pop events held there. London went ahead and built this facility, it goes to show that there is the capacity even with the sports and other non music events held there on a regular basis. If New York feels it is under represented it wll build a new facility.

It may have been incredibly succesful commercially but the design of the new inserts is terrible the Disneyland esque art-deco cinema, plastic looking palm trees and the fact that theyve tried to squeeze in too much really does make it a quite unpleasant place to be. It was supposed to rival the west end as a destination and i dont think it has been successful in doing that.


I think they've done a fantastic job with it. The arena is superb and I really felt you could easily spend a full day just there.

Learn to play guitar with Macca at the O2 music hall of fame
(http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23657077-details/Learn+to+play+guitar+with+Macca+at+the+O2+music+hall+of+fame/article.do)Louise Jury
04.03.09

A celebration of more than 60 years of British rock and pop will open next week in a new £9.5 million exhibition at The O2.

Stars from Led Zeppelin and Oasis to the Spice Girls have lent memorabilia for the British Music Experience.

The show also incorporates interactive technology so visitors can see classic moments of music history from Beatlemania to Live Aid.

They can try their hand at guitars, keyboard or drums in a studio sponsored by Gibson guitars with expert video tuition from the likes of K T Tunstall and Sir Paul McCartney. Visitors can also learn different styles of dance with demonstrations by one of the Mamma Mia! cast.

Music promoter and BME chairman Harvey Goldsmith said: "We have created such a wealth of music talent in the UK over the last 50 or 60 years. I just felt we needed to reflect that.

"In America, there's a Rock'*'Roll Hall of Fame and a Country Music Hall of Fame and we didn't have anything in the UK, even though we have so many artists of global importance."

All styles of music are represented from skiffle - complete with a washboard - to reggae, punk and blues.

The history of the different forms is told in more than 100 hours of interviews with musicians including jazz star Humphrey Lyttelton, which was recorded not long before his death last year at the age of 86.

Curators Paul Lilley and Sarah Clarke said very few in the industry contacted had declined to help. David Bowie, for instance, has his own archivist and lent an entire case of items including a Ziggy Stardust costume, a zoot suit from his Young Americans era and original lyrics and set lists.

There is a Jimmy Page costume and the Spice Girls have each lent an outfit, including Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress.

More material is pouring in than can be displayed in the opening show. But it will be updated and could even be extended to a second floor if the attraction proves popular.

A spokesman said: "For the first time, a grandad can take his grandchild and the child can tell him about Eminem and the grandad can talk about skiffle."

The British Music Experience will be administered as a charitable foundation. Dome owner AEG has funded the set-up costs and will recoup its investment. After that, profits will be ploughed back into the foundation and its educational work.

The exhibition, which is intended to be permanent, opens on Monday. Tickets are £15, £12 concessions and £5 for school parties.

Reader Views (2) Add your view
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.

I would love to go and see this but I'm not willing to give money to the o2 which is just a facade for the NuLab's failed Millennium Dome.
- Kimberley, London

Will someone teach Macca to play the guitar first (also how to write decent songs too)
- Billy, Knutsford, UK

Kimberley is becoming quite the Evening Standard joker I must say.

Michael Jackson to announce string of concerts at O2
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/4938035/Michael-Jackson-to-announce-string-of-concerts-at-O2.html



£100 million deal.

First appearance since high-profile court-case.

At least 10 shows, possibly as many as 50.

Jackson won't perform anywhere else in the world this year.



Michael Jackson, the tarnished pop music superstar, is to announce his latest comeback at London's O2 arena.

The singer has signed up to dozens of concerts in a residency at the arena during June and July which could bank him up to £100 million. The announcement of the concert deal will be televised live on Thursday.

Negotiations between Jackson and AEG Live, the company that opened the O2 in 2007 with a 21-night residency by Prince, began more than a year ago. It will be the longest run of shows by one performer since the relaunch of the former Millennium Dome.

The concerts will be modelled on Las Vegas where Sir Elton John and Celine Dion have long-running residencies which were established by Frank Sinatra. He will not be playing any other concert venues which his management hope will lead to a huge demand for tickets. The residency will avoid the rigours of touring for a singer who has fragile health.

Jackson is hoping the concerts, which will coincide with the release of a new album a first in eight years, will revive the catastrophic slump in his fortunes which has seen his nickname go from the "King of Pop" to "Wacko Jacko".

In 2005 he was acquitted of child molestation charges but his reputation was further damaged when he held his young son aloft over a hotel balcony in Berlin. His Neverland ranch has been sold and a lawsuit from Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Khalifa, who claims that he gave him £4.7m to relaunch his career, was settled out of court.

AEG has sought assurances that Jackson will be able to perform a full-length, greatest hits concert.

Jackson prefers London to a US venue for his return because he remains far more popular across Europe. A Thriller tribute show has become a West End hit. Jackson, 50, visited London last in 2006 for the World Music Awards. His performance, in which he sung a verse and chorus of We Are the World, was regarded generally as disastrous.

The promoters have also reportedly sought assurances about Jackson's health. He was photographed in Las Vegas, before his 50th birthday, dressed in pyjama trousers. He is reportedly up to £100m in debt and is auctioning 2,000 items from his Neverland ranch.

New hotel for O2 at Greenwich

12:25 | 02.02.10

By Laura Chesters

AEG Europe, owner of the O2 in Greenwich, is searching for a hotel operator for a new 4 star hotel at the site.

AEG submitted plans to the London Borough of Greenwich for detailed planning consent for a proposed four star, 450 bed hotel and adjoining serviced apartments next to The O2 on the Greenwich Peninsula.

The site already has outline consent.

As part of the application it is also seeking additional event space which will include uses for banqueting for up to 3,000 people.

Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands is the architects for the scheme.

AEG said it is working with a shortlist of potential operators for the hotel.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=297&storycode=3157357&c=1

Looks like a power station!

I have a question: Why does the O2 Arena have an operating period of only seven months a year?

^^ Not sure what you're on about, 'cause one look at the events calender clearly indicates that the arena is pretty much jam-packed hosting events all year round.