The O2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from The 02)
Jump to: navigation, search
The correct title of this article is The O2. It features superscript or subscript characters that are substituted or omitted because of technical limitations.
This article is about the redeveloped Millennium Dome site. For information on the Dome site before the redevelopment and renaming to The O2, see Millennium Dome. For the Berlin, Germany arena, see O2 World. For all other uses, see O2 (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 51°30′10.14″N, 0°0′11.22″E
Image:The o2 logo.jpg
Image:Millennium Dome (zakgollop) version.jpg
Building
Former Names Millennium Dome
Type Entertainment District
Architectural Style Dome
Structural System Steel & tensioned fabric
Location The O2
Drawdock Road / Millennium Way
Greenwich Peninsula
North Greenwich
London, SE10 0BB
England
Owner English Partnerships (Ultimate owner of Dome and Land)
Current Tenants Anschutz Entertainment Group Europe (dome site sub-leased by Meridian Delta and arena leased by English Partnerships)
Construction
Completed 1999 (mast-supported canopy)
2007 (redevelopment of The O2 and surrounding area have been partially completed prior to opening)
Height 50 metres at its highest point (central point within canopy)
100m (steel masts)
Diameter 365 metres (overall diameter of canopy)
320 metres (internal diameter of canopy)
Other Dimensions 1km (circumference of canopy)
Design Team
Architect Richard Rogers (canopy)
HOK SVE (redeveloped interior of The O2)
Structural engineer Buro Happold (canopy and redeveloped interior of The O2)
Services engineer Buro Happold (canopy)
M-E Engineers (redeveloped interior of The O2)
Awards and Prizes Royal Academy of Engineering
MacRobert Award

The O2 is a large entertainment district including an indoor arena, a music club, a cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas and bars and restaurants, built within a large dome-shaped building (formerly the Millennium Dome), on the Greenwich peninsula in south-east London, England. It is often wrongly referred to as The O2 dome, the O2 Centre (which is actually a shopping centre in Finchley Road) or The O2 arena which is actually the name of the arena in The O2. The name of the Entertainment District officially became The O2, when O2 plc (now Telefónica O2 Europe plc) purchased the naming rights from the developers, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), during the development of the entertainment district.

The dome-shaped building, also referred to as the Dome's canopy , was originally constructed as the Millennium Dome, often simply known as the Dome, and housed the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the third Millennium. After the closure of the exhibition on December 31 2000, the interior of the building was demolished leaving only the shell of the Dome. Although AEG has transformed the interior of the Dome's shell and have renamed it The O2, many still refer to it as the Dome.

Since the closure of the original exhibition celebrating the millennium, several possible ways of reusing the Dome's shell were proposed and then rejected. The official renaming of the Dome to The O2 on May 31 2005 gave publicity to its transition into an Entertainment District including an indoor arena, a music club, a cinema, an exhibition space, and bars and restaurants. The interior of the Dome's shell was completely cleared prior to the development and construction of the new facilities. The Dome's shell itself remained in situ but its interior and the area around North Greenwich Station, the QE2 pier and The O2's main entrance area was completely redeveloped. In this role the plan is to host the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships and the artistic gymnastics and basketball events of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games,[1] as well as two National Hockey League games and a National Basketball Association game in 2007. The Tennis Masters Cup, which will be renamed to ATP World Tour Finals, is intended to be held in The O2 arena from 2009 to 2012.

The area is served by North Greenwich tube station, which was opened just before the millennium exhibition, on the Jubilee Line, by the Thames Clipper river boat service, which AEG purchased in order to provide river links between Central London and The O2 with a new Thames Clipper service known as The O2 Express, and by bus routes.[2]

Contents

[edit] The Dome

For more information on The Dome before its redevelopment and renaming to The O2 including the construction of the Dome shaped building, see Millennium Dome.

The dome-shaped building, which now houses The O2's Entertainment Avenue and arena, was originally constructed as the Millennium Dome and housed the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition to celebrate the start of the third millennium. The exhibition opened to the public on January 1 2000 and ran until December 31, 2000; however, the project and exhibition was the subject of considerable political controversy and did not attract the number of visitors anticipated, leading to recurring financial problems. In popular usage, the dome canopy is often still called The Dome, reflecting the substantial, and often adverse, publicity given to its building in the late 20th century.

[edit] Background to the development of The O2

Image:Canary.wharf.and.dome.london.arp.jpg
The O2, with the Canary Wharf complex in the background, seen from the River Thames. The London 2012 logo, which has now been removed from the dome, can be seen advertising the fact that it would be an Olympic venue.

The O2 was developed, inside the dome structure, by Anschutz Entertainment Group to a design by HOK SVE and Buro Happold in a £600 million development[3].

In December 2001 it was announced that Meridian Delta Ltd had been chosen by the government to develop the Dome structure, originally the Millennium Dome, as a sports and entertainment centre, and to develop housing, shops and offices on 150 acres (0.6 km²) of surrounding land. It is also hoped to relocate some of London's tertiary education establishments to the site. Meridian Delta is backed by the American billionaire Philip Anschutz, who has interests in oil, railways, and telecommunications, as well as a string of sports-related investments.

Meridian Delta, a subsidiary of Quintain Estates and Lend lease, had signed a 999 year lease for the Dome and its surrounding land with the government and English Partnerships, a UK Governmental body for national regeneration who was assigned with the regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula. The Dome site was then sub-leased to Anshutz Entertainment Group (AEG), who strongly support Meridian Delta, for a minimum of 58 years. English Partnerships leased the arena directly to AEG Europe for 58 years. AEG would develop and operate The O2 during the length of the lease agreements. The lease agreements were made in the agreement that the government would get a certain percentage of profits through English Partnerships. English Partnerships and Quintain Estates both own land around The O2 on the Greenwich Peninsula. They will release land in stages, to developers, and develop the area in a joint venture with the aid of Meridian Delta.[4] Some of the land is already being developed for offices and shops. The David Beckham Football Academy has already been developed on the Greenwich Peninsula. Some of the land around the dome is being reserved for possible extended developments for The O2 including a hotel although the building of much of the extended development depends on how much investment can be made by AEG(See below section about possible future developments for details). The development of the whole Greenwich peninsula area is likely to cost 4 billion pounds.[5]

As part of the investment programme, naming rights were sold to O2 plc; and 'The O2' became the official name of the project on 25 May 2007.[6] The £6 million a year deal between O2 plc and AEG also included priority tickets and reserved VIP accommodation for O2 mobile customers.[7] The service was also made available to premium ticket holders. O2 plc started talks with AEG in 2005 to have The O2's (mobile phone company) logo and its branding placed on the roof of the dome. As of yet, this has not yet been confirmed.[8] Anschutz Entertainment Group have constantly stated that they wish to abolish its name as 'The Dome' due to its bad reputation as a failed project, being tagged as 'The White Elephant.'[9] Since its opening, there have been signs of the press and public calling it The O2.[10][11][12][13][14] It is currently the largest entertainment district in London.[15] AEG recently began a mass advertising campaign, led by VCCP which was recently acquired by Chime Communications, throughout Europe including traditional advertising and creative advertising methods such as a ticket hunt competition to promote The O2.[16]. The O2 is also partnered with and sponsored by ADT, AOL, NEC, Credit Suisse, InBev UK, BMW, Nestle, Pepsi Max and Vivitar.[17]

[edit] Construction

The development took place in the form of new buildings being built inside the dome structure to make it appear as an entertainment city within the dome. The dome structure was not changed as part of the construction with the exception of blue lights being added to the support poles and plasma displays being added to some of the large sculptures around the dome.[18] Construction started with the arena roof which was built on the ground and lifted as cranes could not be used in the dome structure. The construction then moved on to the arena building including the interior under the roof and the entertainment avenue around the arena building. A wide pathway between North Greenwich station and The O2 was also built as well as the Peninsula Square piazza in front of the dome structure for special events. A glass roof was also built over part of the pathway so that people can walk from the station to The O2 without getting wet in rain. A covered path was also built between the QE2 Pier and The O2's main entrance. Further developments of The O2 and its surrounding land may take place in the future(See below section about possible future developments for details). Buro Happold provided structural engineering for the project. The main civil engineering and construction contract for the development was awarded to Sir Robert McAlpine[19]. Watson Steel Structures provided engineering for the 4500 tonne arena roof.[20] M-E Engineers were the services engineers for the project. T. Clarke were the electrical engineers.[21] OR Consulting engineers set up a few interactive exhibitions within The O2.[22] [23] Keller Ground engineering prepared the ground for construction. Special ground preparation was necessary due to the contaminated soils from the industrial works which existed at the site before the dome. Catalytic converters were also installed within the dome to prevent toxic gases due to the dome structure being left in place. The plant cylinders, containing services equipment, and some piles used for the original dome, were reused.[24] Financial consulting was provided by WT Partnership and EC Harris.[25] The Waterfront partnership provided legal support for the development and continues to do so for The O2.[26] Kerzner International helped with the development of the entertainment venues.[27]

[edit] Super Casino Proposals

Anschutz planned to build a 'super casino' as one of the attractions inside of The O2 as this would create a huge investment for the company and would allow for many business opportunities and further developments of the dome area. The super casino was to be developed and operated by Kerzner International. [28] The association of the British Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, with Philip Anschutz, head of the entertainment group, gave rise to serious political controversy in Britain with allegations that Prescott may have used undue influence to support Anschutz's casino licence bid. Prescott had met with Anschutz on several occasions and even stayed in his ranch for a few days.[29] They were further criticised when the structure for the super-casino had already been built. [30] In January, 2007 the single trial licence for a British super casino was granted to Manchester. Thus AEG announced that the casino will not be built in the near future, and that there would not be enough investment for a high-rise hotel, designed by Richard Rodgers as well as a theatre, a cable car from Canary Wharf and an extended development that was planned adjacent to the dome structure will not be built.[31] AEG had previously stated that there was no alternative plan if the super casino could not be located in The O2. However the space reserved for the super casino is still being reserved for possible future developments.

[edit] Future developments

AEG are still pushing for a super casino. They are now determined to fill the reserved space with a super casino, or if necessary with an alternative attraction, that would attract enough tourists staying overnight and bring in enough investment to allow for the second part of the development of the dome and its surrounding land to proceed.[32] The second phase of the development would include an extended development to The O2 including an attraction which would attract overnight visitors and a hotel outside the dome structure. A theatre and cable car may also be built, outside the dome structure, if enough investment can be made from an overnight attraction. It has been suggested that The O2 could be a cruise terminal as an alternative to a super casino, if the super casino is not possible.[33] The remaining land around The O2 entertainment district will be filled with shops and offices. Short term car parks are currently being built.

[edit] Opening

Image:Millennium Dome.jpg
The O2, seen from the Isle of Dogs.

The O2 was opened on June 24 2007 to the public with an opening concert by Bon Jovi in the arena. [34] Prior to opening some other events took place. This includes a soft opening for residents of the area who were free to explore the entertainment district and an opening for staff at The O2 called "The O2 premiere".(See Music events for more details) An event featuring circus acts also took place on the day of the public opening as part of the Greenwich Festival. The event was called "Out of the Blue".

[edit] Facilities

Various buildings are housed within the dome structure including an arena, known as The O2 Arena and an Entertainment Avenue consisting of various entertainment venues. (see The O2 arena and Entertainment Avenue for more details) The O2 also includes a VIP club lounge, an operations room, a media centre with high definition facilities and a number of dressing rooms as well as a VIP entrance/exit for performers. Security is provided by an in-house team while event stewarding is provided by Group 4 Securicor who signed a 2 year contract with AEG for the role.[35][36] Tight security was put in place throughout The O2 including airport style scanners at the entrance to The O2 and separate security checks for everyone entering the arena building. Sniffer dogs, security personnel with handheld scanners and CCTV were also put into place. Food and drink from outside the arena building are disposed of on entry to the arena building and only that purchased inside the arena building is allowed. Food and drink is allowed in the arena and each seat is fitted with a drink holder. Filming or photography in the arena without permission is not permitted, dependent on the event, and copyright protection officers are present. The O2 arena also applies age policies where under-14s must be accompanied by adults and under-16s are banned from the standing areas, although different age restrictions may apply for different events.[37] The O2 was designed to have a modern appearance. All the venues at The O2 uses the latest lighting, sound and security technology including RFID smart card tagging of all staff and VIP guests, and digitally managed sound.[38] There are 4 computer sever rooms at The O2 to provide for the technology.[39][40] ADT signed a contract with AEG to provide the security resources and NEC is the technology supplier.[41] Much of The O2 is fitted with plasma displays or dot matrix displays used mainly for advertising or signage. The arena is also fitted with nearly 600 toilets.[42] A lot of money was also spent on fire safety including sprinklers, alarms, public address systems and fire safety officers.[43] All parts of The O2 are fitted for disabled access.

The O2 is built to be environmentally friendly. Waste food is composted while used cooking oil is recycled for biofuels.[44] Reducing carbon emissions were thought out as The O2 is in London's first low emission zone. The O2 also banned smoking from the start to comply with the new smoking laws which prohibit smoking in public areas as well as for health and safety reasons as currently all of The O2, with the exception of Peninsula Square and the car parks, is within the Dome structure. Animals were also banned along with scooters, cycles and skateboards. Alcohol can only be consumed in the off-license premises.[45] Cars cannot reach the roads nearest to The O2 as these roads are only used by staff and performers. There are pre-booked car parks for events, coach parks and short term car parks are currently being built.[46] The North Greenwich Station car park is currently being used for short term parking while The O2's short term car park is being built. The pre-booked event car parks are also used as short term car parks when there are no events at The O2.[47] Although there is signage directed towards The O2, the roads leading to The O2 and the parking system, which is managed by Parkeon, have been subject to criticisms.[48] The halving of the number of parking spaces at North Greenwich Station due to the developments in the area also came under fire.[49]

[edit] Entertainment Avenue

The Entertainment Avenue, managed by Montagu Estates , a Property Management company,[50] is a modern wide pedestrian avenue within The O2, with artficial palm trees and other decorations, built around the circular arena building which takes up the centre of the dome structure. The entertainment avenue has buildings on either side, which are leased to tenants who run bars and restaurants just as in a Shopping mall or on the High Street, and resembles a shopping centre. The Music club is not leased to anyone and is operated by Ansco Music Club Limited (The business name of the indigO2 operated by AEG Europe). The cinema building is leased as a cinema only.
Image:O2 interior.jpg
200px

The buildings on the Entertainment Avenue include a music club known as indigO2, an exhibition space known as The O2 bubble, a cinema managed by Vue and 25 various bars and restaurants with private hire and leisure facilities, with more opening soon.[51] The Entertainment avenue also includes an ice rink known as The O2 ice pad, an indoor beach (for a limited time), areas for special events including the London Piazza, the main entrance area and Peninsula Square which is outside the main entrance of The O2 also exist as part of the entertainment avenue. [52] An event stall is available for performers to sell their merchandise. Fast Food stores have been banned from the development as the theme is 'aspirational but accessible' trying to avoid it being seen as a shopping mall but more like Covent garden.[53] [54]

As of June 2007, half of the development is still under construction including the ice rink, the exhibition space, the west entrance area which hasn't yet been tiled or developed and some bars and restaurants. These are likely to be opened by November 2007.

[edit] indigO2

indigO2, managed by Ansco Music Club limited which is the business name of the indigO2 part of AEG Europe, is a 2350 capacity live music club for smaller music events.[55] It contains four bars: two in the main ground floor area in front of the stage, one of which is sponsored by Beck's, one in the V.I.P lounge called the Purple Lounge and one in the stalls, called Bleachers. The downstairs area can be used for seating or standing. The Purple Lounge is not in direct view of the stage, but V.I.P guests have access to "Kings Row", the best seats in the venue. The circle is on the top floor, above "Kings Row". There are no seats with obstructed views.

So far, the venue has featured artists such as OMD, the Eagles, George Clinton, Jools Holland, CAKE, Natalie Cole, Aimee Mann, Joss Stone, Youssou N'Dour, Lucie Silvas, Beverly Knight, Timbaland, Chris Brown and the now legendary Prince aftershows. indigO2 is regularly used as the venue for private and public aftershow parties for artists that have performed in The O2 Arena. indigO2 has also hosted the album launch party for the Sugababes and The Q Awards nominations. The venue also recently hosted "An Audience with Bill Clinton".

The venue can also be hired and used for conferences and other private events. [56]

[edit] The O2 Bubble

The O2 Bubble is a 2 floor bubble shaped exhibition space which opened in November 2007. It is made from ETFE which is the same material used for the Eden Project. The bubble itself is apparently based on the Eden Project. [57] Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs is the first exhibition in the Bubble and is currently taking place.[58] The managers of the exhibition had previously refused to hold the exhibition here if a super casino had been built. Tight security will be in place at the venue including X-ray scanners at the entrance, sniffer dogs, CCTV monitoring and security personnel.

[edit] Vue @ The O2

The cinema includes 11 screens over 2 levels including one 770 capacity auditorium (Screen 11) claiming to be the biggest in London, being over 22 metres wide.[59][60] It is England's first digital cinema, after the kino digital cinema company and this can also allow for live events to be shown. Every screen features a digital screen and projector, which has an optional lens with anamorphic technology. The projector is the NEC 2500 which is the world's brightest projector. The surround sound can go up to 8 channels. Films are played from a computer server. The technology is supplied by NEC. [61][62] Most screens are built in amphitheatre style and can be hired out for private use. [63] The cinema is currently competing for premieres and so there is a VIP room and a licensed bar.[64][65] A free pre release screening of Die Hard 4.0 was initially held in the première screen. The cinema successfully got the rights to host the UK premiere of The Simpsons Movie and High School Musical 2.[66] The cinema uses the new vista ticketing system, where tickets can be purchased from any stall selling refreshments. For this reason there is no box office dedicated to selling tickets only.

[edit] Special Events

Special events or minor events which do not require or cannot be held in the indoor venues are held in the piazzas - The London Piazza, Peninsula Square which is outside the main entrance of The O2, the area around the main entrance and possibly on The O2 Ice Pad in the future. An indoor beach will be built on The London Piazza for a limited time. [67] Past special events at The O2 included a training session with Amir Khan. The Bars and restaurants can also be used for private events.

[edit] The O2 arena

The O2 arena
Image:O2 arena.jpg
Location The O2 arena
The O2
Drawdock Road
North Greenwich
London, SE10 0BB
England
Coordinates 51°30′10.14″N, 0°0′11.22″E
Built Between 2003 and 2007
Opened Sunday, June 24 2007
Owner English Partnerships
Operator Ansco Arena Limited (Anschutz Entertainment Group Europe)
Surface Versatile
Construction cost £600 million to develop all of The O2
Architect HOK Sport
Structural Engineer Buro Happold
Services Engineer M-E Engineers

p to 20

General Contractor Sir Robert McAlpine
Former names Millennium Dome
Tenants No Regular Tenants
Capacity 17,551

The O2 arena is located at the centre of The O2 and is the first American style multi-purpose arena in London.[68] With a capacity of 17,551 it is one of the largest indoor arenas in Europe.[69] The arena building takes up 40% of the total dome structure.

Construction of the arena started in 2003 and finished in 2007. Due to the impossibility of using cranes inside the dome structure the arena's roof was constructed on the ground within the dome and then lifted. The arena building's structure was then built around the roof. The arena building, which houses the arena and the arena concourse, is independent from all other buildings in The O2 and houses all the arena's facilities.

The seating arrangement throughout the whole arena can be modified, similar to the Manchester Evening News Arena.[70] The ground surface can also be changed between ice rink, basketball court, exhibition space, conference venue, private hire venue and concert venue.

The arena was built to reduce echoing which has previously been a problem in many London music venues.[71] The sound manager for U2, Joe O'Herlihy, worked with acoustic engineers to introduce measures such as sound absorbing material on the arena roof and the bottom of strategically placed seats to reduce echoing.

Despite the O2 arena being open for only 7 months of the year, the venue sold over 1.2 million tickets in 2007 making it the 3rd most popular venue in the world narrowly behind the Manchester Evening News Arena (1.25 million) and Madison Square Garden in New York (1.23 million). In 2008 it is expected that the O2 arena will surpass all other venues, with predicted sales of more than two million.[72]

[edit] Musical events

Anschutz opened The O2 arena on June 23 2007 with a free event for all of The O2's employees billed as The O2 Premiere featuring Peter Kay, Tom Jones, Kaiser Chiefs and Basement Jaxx, with the show hosted by Dermot O'Leary. This was before the official reopening of The O2 to the public and preceded a programme of events set to launch the venue over summer. Bon Jovi played the first open-to-all concert at the arena on June 24 2007.

The O2 arena has become synonymous with major acts hosting significant residencies at the venue. This precedent was started by Prince's 21 nights at the venue and has since been followed by the Spice Girls performing 17 shows and Kylie Minogue scheduling 6 for 2008. David Campbell, the president and chief executive of Anschutz Entertainment Group Europe, has confirmed that the The O2 arena has "two big residencies booked for the fourth quarter of 2008". These are believed to be Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston[73].

Other notable acts that have performed or are due to perform at the O2 arena include The Rolling Stones, Justin Timberlake, Keane, My Chemical Romance, The Foo Fighters, Snow Patrol, Andrea Bocelli, Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Led Zeppelin, Take That, Bruce Springsteen, Scissor Sisters, Kanye West, Smashing Pumpkins, Alica Keys, Westlife, Barbra Streisand and Girls Aloud.

[edit] Sports events

The first sporting event to take place was the Commonwealth Boxing Lightweight Championships featuring Amir Khan on July 14 2007. Also, Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the UK in September by hosting UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion at The O2 Arena. The arena also hosted two National Hockey League contests, which started the 2007-08 NHL season, on 29 and September 30, both involving the Anschutz-owned Los Angeles Kings and their regional rivals from Southern California (and defending Stanley Cup champions), the Anaheim Ducks.[74]

The arena also hosted an NBA exhibition match between the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 10, 2007. The game sold out more than three months beforehand.[75]

The O2 Arena has been chosen by the Association of Tennis Professionals to host the Tennis Masters Cup (to be renamed ATP World Tour Finals) from 2009 until 2012,[76]

The O2 arena will host the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships.[77] At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games it will be used for artistic gymnastics, for which it will have a spectator capacity of 20,000, and for basketball finals, for which it will have a cap. The rest of the basketball competition will take place at one of the arenas in the Olympic Park.[78] A 6,000 seat temporary venue called the Greenwich Arena will be built near The O2 and will stage the badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events.[79]

The O2 arena has been mooted as a continued sports venue after the Olympics, and may host London Towers basketball games, as well as a new London ice-hockey team after the demise of the London Knights, although the owners have publicly stated there are no current plans for a long-term tenant.

On April 14 and 15 2008, The O2 will host TV tapings of Monday Night RAW, ECW and Friday Night SmackDown!, during WWE's WrestleMania Revenge Tour.

[edit] Other events

There are other events held inside the arena, which are not either musical or sports events. These include Disney Ice Tours that take place. These include Disney On Ice and High School Musical On Ice. Other such events include Viva La Diva, Strictly Come Dancing live tour, the New Years Event, and the Scouts Live '07 event.

[edit] Chronology of the site

  • 1994: Millennium Commission established by Prime Minister John Major and handed over to deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine.
  • January 1996: Greenwich site selected. Birmingham, Derby and Stratford were also considered.
  • May 1999: The Jubilee Line Extension opens, putting the Dome on the London Underground. This too is seen as disorderly, opening 14 months late and with station facilities not yet complete (e.g. lifts for wheelchair access)
  • June 22 1999: structure of Dome completed.
  • January 1 2000: Dome structure opens to public as the Millennium Dome containing an exhibition to celebrate the third millennium.
  • December 31 2000: Dome closed to the public, having attracted just over six million visitors. The initial target figure was twelve million.
  • February 27 2001 - March 2 2001: One Amazing Auction Sale: 4-day public auction with 17,000 lots of Dome/NMEC items, managed by auctioneer Henry Butcher.
  • December 18 2001: Announcement of sale of site to Meridian Delta Ltd, who plan to turn it into a 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue. Houses and offices will be built on the surrounding land, subject to the consent of the London Borough of Greenwich.
  • December 6 2003: opening of Winter Wonderland 2003
  • May 31 2005, Anschutz Entertainment Group sell the naming rights to the former Millennium Dome to O2, a British mobile phone company.
  • January 30 2007: The O2's bid to house the UK's first Regional/Super Casino is rejected in favour of Manchester
  • May 8 2007: Prince announces 7 nights at The O2 Arena as part of his 21 night London tour. The O2 residency was increased to 15 nights after all 140,000 tickets sell out in 20 minutes. He is now performing all 21 London nights at The O2.
  • June 23 2007: The O2 'O2 Premier' private event opened to staff. Peter Kay, Tom Jones, Kaiser Chiefs and Bassement Jaxx.
  • June 24 2007: The O2 opens to the public. Bon Jovi was the first band to open the new O2 arena.

[edit] In popular culture

  • The O2 was also the site for a roadblock on The Amazing Race 7, where the teams had to drive a double-decker bus around the car park.
  • The O2 was featured for a few seconds prominently in the background during a sequence in the 2006 film The Da Vinci Code. It was also the site of the conclusion of a chase in the James Bond thriller, The World Is Not Enough.
  • In the 2007 film Flood The O2 was shown along with many other London landmarks being swamped with a surge of water.

LIVE07 - A concert for Scouting to celebrate the 100th year of the scouting movement.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ "Dome legacy is 'good for future'", BBC News, 2006-04-12. Retrieved on 2006-05-25. 
  2. ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2007280997,00.html|title=www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2007280997,00.html|accessdate=2007-07-04}}
  3. ^ http://www.mycityoflondon.co.uk/cityoflondon/celebs-justin-timberlake.htm
  4. ^ www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/04-05/0405178.pdf (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  5. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4903922.stm
  6. ^ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/25/O2_dome/
  7. ^ [http://www.o2.co.uk/aboutO2/pressroom/O2andanschutzentertainmentgroupannouncegroundbreakingpartnership
  8. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article432609.ece
  9. ^ news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4903922.stm. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  10. ^ 2/article.do www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23401804-details/Bon+Jovi+blasts+off+at+the+O2/article.do. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  11. ^ news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6548973.stm. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  12. ^ www.nba.com/news/london_070625.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  13. ^ news.independent.co.uk/media/article2667051.ece. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  14. ^ www.itv.com/news/index_e106f63880f2fda611bb4308ab922f1f.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  15. ^ www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/2948.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  16. ^ http://www.chime.plc.uk/news_room/news_room_index.asp?rel=450&TYPES=1
  17. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/aboutus
  18. ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/imitated/988648472/in/set-72157601173385654/
  19. ^ Sir Robert McAlpine Project Archive
  20. ^ http://www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com/
  21. ^ http://www.tclarke.co.uk/casestudy/41/the_O2_arena.html
  22. ^ http://www.orconsult.co.uk/news/O2-dome-exhibition-projects-00010.html
  23. ^ http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=3089807
  24. ^ http://keller-ge.co.uk/engineering/case-studies/case-study-details/O2DomeArenaandLeisureComplex.html?ContentID=49
  25. ^ http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=3089807
  26. ^ http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9BFC044C-3DF8-4CA0-AE9F-E91F3DD3480E/0/20071402Agenda.pdf
  27. ^ http://www.gold.ac.uk/world/millen/gppf100106.html
  28. ^ http://www.gold.ac.uk/world/millen/gppf100106.html
  29. ^ "Prescott 'broke ministers' rules'", BBC News, 2006-07-21. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. 
  30. ^ http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/222/222099_supercasino_talks_get_under_way.html
  31. ^ http://www.gold.ac.uk/world/millen/gppf100106.html
  32. ^ www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/06/17/ccdome117.xml. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  33. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/london_2012/article1977660.ece
  34. ^ http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/entertainment/music/bon-jovi-open-new-O2-venue-$1103128.htm
  35. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/corporateenquiries/eventsandconferencing
  36. ^ www.g4s.com/uk/uk-news_and_media/uk-news_and_media-pr.htm?id=40181. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  37. ^ http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/venue/148822
  38. ^ http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2192975/dome-puts-top
  39. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news/science_nature/video/101000/bb/101570_16x9_bb.asx
  40. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6225452.stm
  41. ^ www.adt.co.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-0j7new019.RefLocID-0j700c006.Lang-EN.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  42. ^ www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23399728-details/Take+a+seat+inside+the+new+Dome/article.do. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  43. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/whatson/exhibitions/infoforschools/hs
  44. ^ www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2007280997,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  45. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/venueinfo/termsofentry
  46. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/parking
  47. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/parking
  48. ^ http://www.parking-net.com/NewsItem.aspx?ItemID=20474
  49. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/01/22/parking_feature.shtml
  50. ^ www.montagu-evans.co.uk/?pid=12&dept=4&type=1. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  51. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/corporateenquiries/eventsandconferencing
  52. ^ www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/whatson. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  53. ^ "The Dome misses out", The Telegraph, 2007-01-31. Retrieved on 2007-06-22. 
  54. ^ http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2667051.ece
  55. ^ http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9BFC044C-3DF8-4CA0-AE9F-E91F3DD3480E/0/20071402Agenda.pdf
  56. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/corporateenquiries/eventsandconferencing
  57. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4579529.stm
  58. ^ www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/whatson/exhibitions. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  59. ^ http://www.myvue.com/cinemas/facilities_detail.asp?SessionID=19B2D07813904F0CA7F95D4BD06A19A9&cn=1&ci=71&ln=1&did=6536
  60. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/whatson/cinema
  61. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news/science_nature/video/101000/bb/101683_16x9_bb.asx
  62. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6225452.stm
  63. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/corporateenquiries/eventsandconferencing
  64. ^ http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2667051.ece
  65. ^ http://wwp.greenwich2000.com/millennium/vue-cinema/index.htm
  66. ^ http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1276892,00.html
  67. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/whatson/specialevents
  68. ^ http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/aboutus
  69. ^ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23399728-details/Take+a+seat+inside+the+new+Dome/article.do
  70. ^ http://www.audiencesystems.net/admin/presscentre/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=15
  71. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6225452.stm
  72. ^ http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3134279.ece
  73. ^ http://www.showbizspy.com/2007/12/14/michael-jackson-to-perform-a-residency-at-the-o2-arena/
  74. ^ NHL Takes Its' Act on the Road — To England. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
  75. ^ www.nba.com/europelive2007/sold_out_london_070625.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  76. ^ www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2094-2415720,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  77. ^ main.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2005/may/2005-05-27-14-00.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  78. ^ main.london2012.com/en/ourvision/venues/venuelist/TheDome.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
  79. ^ main.london2012.com/en/ourvision/sport+and+venue+information/list+of+all+venues/Greenwich+Arena.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.

[edit] External links

Image:Commons-logo.svg
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Millennium Dome
Retrieved from "http://india.smashits.com/wikipedia/The_O2"
Views
Personal tools

Toolbox