The O2 Arena

10 facts about The O2 to mark its first decade

The O2 is ten.

Sort of: the building itself was finished 18 years ago, at the cost of £789 million, and opened on January 1, 2000 (surviving the Millennium Bug, phew) as the Millennium Dome.

It had a rough ride in the press and the public weren't kind either. It closed after a year – as has always been planned – but with reports of maintenance costs of £1million per month, and the place empty, the Greenwich landmark was beginning to look like one of the largest architectural mishaps since Crystal Palace burned down. There were commendable moments – most notably Crisis using the building as a home for the homeless during the Christmas of 2003 – but it wasn’t until the present deal with O2 was signed that things really started moving.

On June 24, 2007, London’s largest grey tent re-opened as The O2, and success after success has followed. The ‘Dome’ moniker is all but gone – talk about a win for advertising – and the space has hosted hundreds of bands and artists during its first decade. Being in rude health, it's little surprise they've been celebrating with a series of gigs from the likes of Celine Dion and Ed Sheeran.​

All in all, it’s been a fairly glorious 10 years. Here are some highlights for next time you’re down the pub – or just on the way to a gig and out of conversation.

source: https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/...


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