Venue Information

Approx. capacity: 20000

The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in London, England. With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second-largest arena in the UK after the Manchester Arena and one of the largest in Europe. In 2008, The O2 Arena took the crown of the world's busiest music arena from the Manchester Arena, a title which it had held since 2001. The closest underground station to the venue is the North Greenwich station on Jubilee Line. Following the closure of the Millennium Experience at the end of 2000, the Millennium Dome was leased to Meridian Delta Ltd. in 2001, for redevelopment as an entertainment complex. This included plans for an indoor arena. Construction of the arena started in 2003 and finished in 2007. Owing 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 arena building itself takes up 40% of the total dome structure. The seating arrangement throughout the whole arena can be modified, similar to the Manchester Arena. 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, a common problem among London music venues. U2's sound manager, Joe O'Herlihy, worked with acoustic engineers to introduce measures such as sound absorbing material on the arena roof and the bottoms of strategically placed seats to reduce echoing. Despite The O2 arena's being open for only seven months of the year, the venue sold over 1.2 million tickets in 2007, making it the third most popular venue in the world for concerts and family shows narrowly behind the Manchester Arena (1.25 million) and Madison Square Garden in New York City (1.23 million). In 2008, it became the world's-busiest venue taking the crown from MEN Arena with sales of more than two million.

Transport

By Tube

The Jubilee Line to North Greenwich for The O2 (Zone 2). Canary Wharf in 5 minutes London Bridge or Stratford in 10 minutes Waterloo in 15 minutes Bond Street in 20 minutes

By Train

Charlton mainline station is just a short ride on either a 486, 472 or 161 bus from North Greenwich underground station. All these buses start their route from North Greenwich underground so there is no confusion as to which way to go! Southeastern runs services to Charlton train station. Turn left out of the station and catch 486, 472 or N472 buses to North Greenwich, taking you approximately 10 mins to reach the front door of The O2.

By Car

The M25 (London orbital), the A2/A20 (from the South East) and the M11 (from the North) all offer good access and The O2 is clearly signposted. The postcode for route and journey planners is SE10 0DX. If you need a junction please try Millennium Way or Edmund Halley Way. The O2 is adjacent to North Greenwich Underground and bus station..

By Taxi

North Greenwich station has its own dedicated taxi rank for up to 50 black taxis. In partnership with Transport for London the taxi rank is now marshalled after key arena events. Only taxis (black cabs) can be stopped by customers and can pick up off the street. Private hire vehicles cannot accept fares without being booked in a private hire office or over the phone first.

By Bus

Eight TFL bus routes operate to and from The O2 including three 24 hour bus services. Key destinations include Stratford, Charlton, Greenwich, Lewisham, Woolwich, Eltham and Central London. Please visit www.tfl.gov.uk for timetable information.

Parking

Car parking is available for all events at The O2 arena. It is highly recommended that your parking is pre-booked due to the limited availability of space. To purchase your parking call 020 8463 6718 (10am - 8pm daily). Pre-booked parking is 17.50 pounds plus 2.50 pounds service charge. Pre-booked tickets can be purchased up until 5pm on the day of an evening event or up to 2 hours before a matinee performance.

Accessibility

Wheelchair Access

Should you require assistance at arena events, please contact the information desks within the arena or ring 020 8463 2211 from doors opening time (stated on ticket). This is for point to point assistance at arena events only. If you have ticket for an ambulant seating area and you have your own wheelchair, your wheelchair can be left with customer services at the information desks on either Level 1 or Level 4 until the end of the event or a designated point within the event.

Hearing Systems

Assistive Listening Devices are available for hearing-disabled visitors to The O2 arena. This device is an auditory enhancement system providing coverage of the seating bowl to both those with and without a hearing aid. The Assistive Listening Devices work with Hearing Aids with T-position settings, and with digital Hearing Aids. Alternatively, there are earphones available for those without Hearing Aids. Please visit the information desks on Level 1 or Level 4 of the arena and request an assistive listening device. Guests will be required to leave valid identification such as a driver's license as collateral. This is a complimentary service.

Guide Dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome within The O2 arena. Assistance dogs may be taken onto access platforms, however, if you are seated within an ambulant seating area please contact a Customer Services Representative at the nearest information desk on either level 1 or 4 who will be happy to look after your dog for the duration of the event or a designated time during the event. Water bowls are available on request.

General Access Info

The O2 operates a dedicated disabled access booking line, please call 020 8463 3359. For information on disabled access, please call 0870 600 6140. You can also email them on access@theo2.co.uk.