Where to enjoy the best live concerts
The O2 is the second arena in Europe, right after another UK one, the Manchester Arena, if we take into consideration the size. However, it is the first when it comes to how busy it can get and how many people can assist at the same time, at the same show. The O2 arena is situated in Peninsula Square, London SE10, being surrounded on three sides by River Thames, across Canary Wharf. On the remaining side, very close to the arena is the North Greenwich Underground Station, the reason why this place is very accessible from all London’s corners. The futuristic construction has been initially built to serve as an exhibition center and was dedicated to the new millennium. Since then, the arena was proud to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where the gymnastics competition took place, as well as the basketball and wheelchair basketball tournaments.
Right now, the arena’s schedule is so busy, that some reservations are already made for this same time, one year from now. The activities are diverse: all types of genre music concerts, sport events, theatre and even circus shows. An interesting feature is that the whole arena can be rearranged, starting from the seat area, for the spectators, to the ground (stage) surface. Therefore the arena can easily be transformed from an ice ring, to a conference place, an exposition or a basketball field.
The O2 arena’s history started in 1994, when the first ideas of hosting the new millennium celebrations were presented. In 1997, after Prime Minister Tony Blair was elected, it was a sure thing that the place where the festivities will be held will be Greenwich and that the construction will be a futuristic one. The arena did host the millennium exhibition but the anticipated success failed to come. Also, many locals complained about the appearance of the arena, which was considered unaesthetic and without any connection with what is known as a London icon.
The arena was renamed in 2005, after its main sponsor, the O2 phone company. Since then, the place has been a multifunctional one, hosting all kinds of cultural and sport events. The main hall has a capacity of 20.000 people and the size of two original Wembley Stadiums, but the O2 complex has several other halls that host different, more intimate events. The arena’s dome is constructed from a sort of glass fiber that has a minimum lifetime. After 2018, when the dome cover is supposed to alter, the developers are planning to transform the site with everyone hopes of serving the same purpose.
