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80-655: The 2008 Awards ceremony was held on 30 October 2008 at the IndigO2 venue in London. Nordoff–Robbins music therapy will receive funds raised on the night. The 2011 Awards ceremony was held at the Roundhouse in Camden, which remained its home until 2016. Having grown beyond the original team's capacity to manage it as a part-time project, Mondiale Publishing was brought in as an acquiring partner in 2012, with Steve Jenner remaining onboard as

160-527: A cinema managed by Cineworld and 26 bars and restaurants. The cinema includes 11 screens over 2 levels including one 770 capacity auditorium (Sky Super Screen) which is the third largest screen, by screen-size, in London, and the sixth largest screen in the UK. It uses the vista ticketing system, where tickets can be purchased from any stall selling refreshments. Cineworld began operating the cinema, taking over from Vue in 2010. Fast food outlets have been banned from

240-399: A commuter service, Thames Clippers operates the O 2 Express service. Local buses also serve the station and the nearby O2. On 23 February 2017, O2 announced that they had agreed to a deal with AEG to maintain the naming rights of The O2 for a further 10 years until 2027. The dome-shaped structure, which now houses The O2's Entertainment Avenue and arena , was originally constructed as

320-718: A creative consultant. Since 2017, to bring the Awards into closer alignment with flourishing Independent Festival sector, the UK Festival Awards have been held at Troxy , the music and events venue in Stepney , London. UK Festival Awards launched as an online poll by VirtualFestivals.com , 12,000 fans vote. The awards are presented in person to the winners in their local pubs of choice 50,000+ fans vote; BBC 6 Music sign up as media partner. Saluted in Scottish Parliament when T in

400-409: A few days. In August 2006, it was reported that construction of the shell of The O2's casino site had already started. In January 2007 the single trial licence for a British super casino was granted to Manchester . Consequently, AEG announced that the casino would not be built in the near future, and that there would not be enough investment for a high-rise hotel, designed by Richard Rogers, as well as

480-502: A few interactive exhibitions within The O2. 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

560-684: A number of artworks specially commissioned from contemporary British artists. A piece by Gavin Turk was sold for far below his auction price, though Turk stated that he did not think the piece had worked. The Timekeepers of the Millennium attraction was acquired by the Chessington World of Adventures theme park in Surrey . A unique record of the memorabilia and paraphernalia of the Millennium Experience

640-513: A possible move but instead chose to redevelop their own stadium. Local team Fisher Athletic were at one time interested in moving to the Dome, but they were considered to have too small a fan base to make this feasible. The Dome was planned to take over the functions performed by the London Arena after its closure. This is the function which The O2 Arena has now undertaken. After a private opening on

720-521: A research centre and extension of the Science Museum ; this proposal only came to light when released by The National Archives in 2022. In December 2001, it was announced that Meridian Delta Ltd had been chosen by the government to develop the Dome as a sports and entertainment centre, and to develop housing, shops and offices on 150 acres (0.61 km ) of surrounding land. It also hoped to relocate some of London's tertiary education establishments to

800-548: A supercasino. The new shopping centre opened its doors in October 2018 with thirty stores, however, that number has since increased to over 60. Brands at the Icon Outlet include Levi's , Ted Baker , Asics , Hotel Chocolat , Adidas , Nike , Hackett , Superdry , Clarins , Tommy Hilfiger , Skechers and Jack Wills . The venue also includes a cafe (Cloud Nine), a store that organises sample sales (Showcase.co.) In August 2023

880-513: A theatre, a cable car from Canary Wharf and an extended development that was planned adjacent to the dome. In late 2018, AEG, in association with property firm Crosstree Real Estate Partners, opened a premium retail outlet at the O2, called the Icon Outlet . The centre, which 'completes the loop' at the venue, is set over 210,000 sq.feet and takes up a section of the O2 that was previously intended to house

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960-539: A vast temporary plastic bowl, erected from the aggregate contribution of the poor through the National Lottery. Despite the spin, it remains a massive pantheon to the human ego, the Ozymandias of its time. Bob Marshall-Andrews MP, Sunday Times 1 February 1998 The project was largely reported by the press to have been a failure. During 2000, the organisers repeatedly asked for, and received, more cash from

1040-413: A £6 million-per-year deal with telecommunications company O2 plc, now a subsidiary of Telefónica Europe . This announcement, which presaged a major redevelopment of the site that retained little beyond the shell of the dome, gave publicity to the dome's transition into an entertainment district including an indoor arena, a music club, a cinema, an exhibition space and bars and restaurants. This redevelopment

1120-528: Is a 2,750-capacity live music club for smaller music events, club events, after shows, corporate and private events. It contains four bars: two on the main ground floor area in front of the stage, one in the VIP lounge called the Purple Lounge and one in the stalls, called Bleachers. The Purple Lounge is not in direct view of the stage, but guests have access to "Kings Row", the best seats in the venue. Indigo at The O2

1200-504: Is a wide pedestrian avenue within The O2, with artificial 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, and resembles a shopping centre. The buildings on the Entertainment Avenue include a music club known as Indigo at The O2, an exhibition space,

1280-429: Is also a VIP club lounge, operations rooms, a media centre with high definition facilities and a number of dressing rooms, as well as a VIP entrance/exit for performers. All the venues in the complex use the latest lighting, sound and security technology, including RFID smart card tagging of staff and VIP guests, and digitally managed sound. There are four computer server rooms to provide this technology. The complex

1360-495: Is also covered by CCTV and security personnel. Arena visitors and their bags are screened with X-ray machines and metal detectors at the main entrance. The O2 Arena (referred to as the North Greenwich Arena for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics ) is a 20,000 capacity venue, primarily used for live music. It is located at the centre of The O2 and was the first new purpose built music venue in London since

1440-548: Is an indoor skydiving attraction within The O2, It also offers people to watch the indoor skydiving take place for free. Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome -shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East London , England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium . As of 2022, it is the ninth largest building in

1520-503: Is circular, 365 metres (1,200 ft) (one metre or 39 inches for each day in a standard year) in diameter. It has become one of the United Kingdom's most recognisable landmarks, and can be easily identified on satellite images of London. The architect was Richard Rogers and the contractor was a joint venture company, McAlpine/Laing Joint Venture (MLJV) formed between Sir Robert McAlpine and Laing Management. The building structure

1600-548: Is held by a private collector in the United States. Many of the fixtures and fittings were also purchased by Paul Scally , chairman of Gillingham F.C. , for the club's stadium. The Dome opened again during December 2003 for the Winter Wonderland 2003 experience. The event, which featured a large funfair , ice rink, and other attractions, culminated in a laser and firework display on New Year's Eve. It also served as

1680-463: Is managed by Ansco Music Club Limited (the business name of the Indigo part of AEG Live). The venue hosted "An Audience with Bill Clinton " in 2007. Comedians such as Andy Parsons and Roy Chubby Brown have performed at Indigo. Classic FM hosted several shows throughout 2008. The venue hosted the 'bootcamp' sessions for the reality TV show, The X Factor during the 2008, Series 5 season, and in 2010

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1760-486: The 2012 Summer Paralympics . For sponsorship reasons, during those times the arena was temporarily renamed the North Greenwich Arena. The O2 now contains multiple VR theme park rides, a trampoline park, and an attraction called "Up at The O2," offering guided climbs on the O2 arena. Issues related to the Dome damaged the political careers of government ministers Peter Mandelson and John Prescott . The scheme

1840-676: The Cuban Brothers . Outstanding Contribution to Festivals: John Giddings (Isle of Wight). Moves to the IndigO2 , adding a gala dinner component (at the Goucho restaurant) and the first UK Festival Conference by day (oversubscribed). Michael Eavis accepting his Outstanding Contribution to Festivals award at the IndigO2 in 2008. Establishes independent ownership as Festival Awards Ltd. Hosted by: Shaun Keaveny . Outstanding Contribution to Festivals: Michael Eavis (Glastonbury). The Awards returns to

1920-491: The Icon name was dropped, with the shopping centre now known as Outlet Shopping at The O2 . In late 2007 marine engineering consultancy Beckett Rankine was appointed to investigate the possibility of a cruise ship terminal being built. In 2012 it was reported that the O2 would be sold by its owners AEG, as part of the disposal of the entire company's assets, rumoured to be valued around $ 7 billion. The venue, rebranded The O2 ,

2000-625: The Millennium Commission , the Lottery body which supported it. There where numerous changes at management and board level, before and during the exhibition; Jennifer Page was sacked as chief executive of the New Millennium Experience Company just one month after the dome's opening. The project came to be seen as closely aligned with Tony Blair 's New Labour , making its success or failure politically important. Part of

2080-511: 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 1 January 2000 and ran until 31 December 2000; however, the project and exhibition was the subject of considerable political controversy and it did not attract the number of visitors anticipated, leading to recurring financial problems. On 18 February 2022, due to Storm Eunice ,

2160-521: The Millennium Dome ) is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena , a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas , bars, restaurants, and a guided tour to the top of the O2. It was built largely within the former Millennium Dome , a large dome-shaped canopy built to house an exhibition celebrating the turn of

2240-767: The Royal Mint , the 1951 Festival of Britain Bus, and the Millennium Star Jewels (focus of the failed Millennium Diamond heist . ) Outside was the Millennium Map (thirteen metres; 43' high), the Childhood Cube, Looking Around (a hidden installation), Greenwich Pavilion, the Hanging Gardens at the front of the Dome, as well as a number of other art installations and sculptures. Two of the remaining art installations form

2320-524: The Blue" featuring circus acts also took place on the day of the public opening, as part of the Greenwich Festival. Various buildings are housed within the dome structure including an arena, known as The O2 Arena , smaller venue Indigo at The O2, Hollywood Bowl, Cineworld, Sky Studios and an Entertainment Avenue consisting of various restaurants and bars. A new shopping outlet opened in 2018. Backstage there

2400-944: The Conference expands again into sell-out event at the British Music Experience, covered live by BBC Business News. Hosted by: Craig Charles . Lifetime Achievement Winner: Geoff Ellis ( T in the Park ). Awards show up-scales to The Roundhouse and sells-out – the founding dream realised. Conference moves up to The Forum, attracts record attendance. Hosted by: The Cuban Brothers . Lifetime Achievement Winner: Steve Heap (Association of Folk Festivals). http://www.festivalawards.com/2011-winners/ Best New Festival Wilderness Best Metropolitan Festival Tramlines Best Dance Event Creamfields Best Overseas Festival Outlook (Croatia) Best Family Festival Beautiful Days Best Breakthrough Artist Ed Sheeran Line-Up of

2480-527: The Dome structure by AEG to a design by Populous and Buro Happold at a cost of £350 million. In 2008, the functions of English Partnerships were transferred to the Homes & Communities Agency , and in 2009, Quintain and Lend Lease sold their interest in Meridian Delta to Trinity College, Cambridge for £24 million. As part of the investment programme, naming rights were sold to O2 ; 'The O2' became

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2560-446: The Dome) and managing the Dome until the deal was closed was £28.7 million. £33 million were expected to be returned to the taxpayer by 2009. The value of the 48 acres occupied by the Dome was estimated at £48 million, which could have been realised by demolishing the structure, but it was considered preferable to preserve the Dome. The dome was publicly renamed as The O2 on 31 May 2005, in

2640-524: The O2 Arena and surrounding leisure space. From the closure of the original Millennium Experience exhibition occupying the site, several ways of reusing the Millennium Dome's shell were proposed and then rejected. The renaming of the Dome in 2005 gave publicity to its transition into an entertainment district. The Dome's shell remained in situ, but its interior and the area around North Greenwich Station ,

2720-551: The O2 and the conference fills out into Europe’s largest cinema, the Vue in the O2 complex. The European Festival Awards is launched in partnership with The European Festival Association and debuts at The Grand Theatre in Groningen, Holland, on the opening night of Eurosonic Noorderslag. Hosted by: Dixie and Horsey (Stars of ‘Svengali’). Lifetime Achievement Winner: Katrina Larkin ( The Big Chill ). The Awards continues its O2 residency and

2800-646: The O2. Mamma Mia! the Party was based on a popular Swedish show of the same name, which had enjoyed a successful run at the Tyrol Restaurant in Stockholm. Taking its cue from the successful movie and theatre production Mamma Mia! , the show relocated the action to a Greek Taverna on the island of Skopelos . The show, which includes a full three course meal, tells the story of taverna owner Nikos and his wife Kate over one night at their family owned restaurant. The show

2880-559: The Park is voted Best Major Festival. The awards are again presented to the winners in person during an epic road-trip spanning the UK. Pressure from the industry prompts the creation of the first live event, for 500 standing-only at London’s Islington Academy , sponsored by Carling . Hosted by: Steve Harris. Outstanding Contribution to Festivals: Melvin Benn ( Festival Republic – Reading & Leeds, Latitude). The first "sit down" event at KoKo , Camden. Michael Eavis attends. Hosted by:

2960-491: The QE2 Pier and The O2's main entrance. Buro Happold provided structural engineering for the project. The main civil engineering and construction contract for the development was awarded to Sir Robert McAlpine . Watson Steel Structures provided engineering for the 4,500 tonne arena roof. M-E Engineers were the building services engineers for the project. T. Clarke were the electrical contractors. OR Consulting engineers set up

3040-524: The QE2 pier and the main entrance area were completely redeveloped. The area is served by North Greenwich tube station on the Jubilee line , which was opened just before the millennium exhibition, and by bus routes. Thames Clippers operate a river boat service for London River Services ; the present tenants, AEG, purchased Thames Clippers in order to provide river links between central London and The O2. As well as

3120-599: The Royal Albert Hall in 1871. It is the second largest arena in the UK after the Manchester Arena , but is the busiest music venue in the world. The arena and its facilities are housed in an independent building within the dome structure. The arena has hosted multiple kinds of music and sporting events and in 2008 exceeded ticket sales for both Madison Square Garden and the Manchester Arena. Indigo at The O2

3200-530: The UK was invited to perform a show of their devising which characterised their area and its people. As well as the above, the first ever series of Techno Games was filmed there and shown on BBC Two the same year. There were a number of other attractions both in and outside of The Dome. Inside the Dome there was a play area named Timekeepers of the Millennium (featuring the characters Coggsley and Sprinx), The Millennium Coin Minting Press in association with

3280-850: The Year Sonisphere Knebworth Headline Performance of the Year Paolo Nutini at Latitude Anthem Of The Summer Chase and Status: Blind Faith Agent Of The Year Steve Strange Promoter Of The Year Secret Productions Best Small Festival End of the Road Best Medium-Sized Festival Secret Garden Party Best Major Festival Glastonbury Fans' Favourite Festival IndigO2 51°30′10.14″N 0°0′11.22″E  /  51.5028167°N 0.0031167°E  / 51.5028167; 0.0031167 The O2 (formerly known as

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3360-496: The area. The casino was to be developed and operated by Kerzner International. The association of the British Deputy Prime Minister , John Prescott , with Philip Anschutz , head of the entertainment group, gave rise to political controversy, with allegations that Prescott may have used undue influence to support Anschutz's casino licence bid. Prescott had met Anschutz on several occasions and stayed in his ranch for

3440-460: The arena building itself 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 for special events. A glass roof was 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

3520-476: The base of the venue on the other side. From the platform, visitors can see the Olympic Park , Thames Barrier , Historic Royal Greenwich, Canary Wharf and London City Airport The climbing packages are separated depending on which time of day it currently is, Daylight, Sunset and Twilight. They also offer drinks and meals on top of the summit. In the summer of 2019, a new Mamma Mia! themed attraction opened at

3600-510: The bubble became an exhibition called the British Music Experience , a sixty-year retrospective of British popular music. The space, no longer named The O2 Bubble, has hosted various exhibitions including Star Wars Identities, My Name is Prince, Elvis on Tour, and DC Exhibition: Dawn of Super Heroes, and ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition, which was terminated earlier than planned, in 2020, due to COVID-19 . The Entertainment Avenue

3680-607: The bubble itself was reportedly based on the Eden Project. Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs was the first exhibition in the Bubble and after that was Body Worlds. In October 2009 it was Michael Jackson: The Official Exhibition, a collection of Jackson's personal items from his estate and Neverland Ranch, costumes and props from his tours and videos. In 2009, the third floor of

3760-402: The development as the theme is 'aspirational but accessible', trying to avoid it being seen as a shopping centre but more like Covent Garden . Announced in 2011, Up at The O2 officially opened on 21 June 2012. It involves an expedition across the roof of The O2 along a 190m long tensile fabric walkway. Halfway, a central platform provides 360-degree views of the city, before a descent down to

3840-435: The dome structure was delivered under budget, at a cost of £43m. The critic Jonathan Meades has scathingly referred to the Millennium Dome as a "Museum of Toxic Waste", and apart from the dome itself, the project included the reclamation of the entire Greenwich Peninsula. The land was previously derelict and contaminated by toxic sludge from East Greenwich Gas Works that operated from 1889 to 1985. The clean-up operation

3920-500: The dome, but this did not take place. AEG have stated that they wish to abolish the 'Dome' name due to its reputation as a failed project, being tagged as 'The White Elephant .' Since its opening, there have been signs of the press and public calling it The O2. It is currently the largest entertainment district in London. To mark its opening, AEG spent £6.5 million on a mass advertising campaign, led by VCCP , throughout Europe to promote The O2. The development took place in

4000-453: The evening of 31 December 1999, including a New Year's Eve celebration attended by Queen Elizabeth II , the Millennium Experience at the Dome was open to the public for the whole of 2000, and contained a large number of attractions and exhibits. The English musician Peter Gabriel issued in 2000 The Story of OVO which was released in a CD-booklet-shaped comic book as part of the CD edition with

4080-427: The event again. By late 2000, a proposal had been made for a high-tech business park to be erected under the tent area, creating an "indoor city" complete with streets, parks, and buildings. The business park was actually the original 1996 proposal for the site of the peninsula before the plans for the Millennium Dome were proposed. A suggestion was also made that the entire Dome be relocated to Swindon to serve as

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4160-449: The form of new buildings being built inside the dome structure. 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. Construction started with the arena roof, which was built on the ground and then raised, as cranes could not be used in the dome structure. The construction then moved on to

4240-470: The government and English Partnerships , a UK governmental body for national regeneration which was assigned the regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula. The Dome was sub-leased to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) for 58 years. AEG would develop and operate The O2 during the length of the lease, while the government was entitled to a 15% share of profits for 25 years. The O2 was developed inside

4320-429: The initial offering of the 48 acres enclosed by the Dome) and managing the Dome until the deal was closed was £28.7 million. The value of the 48 acres occupied by the Dome was estimated at £48 million, which could have been realised by demolishing the structure, but it was considered preferable to preserve the Dome. The structure itself still exists and is now a key exterior feature of The O2 . The Prime Meridian passes

4400-565: The middle – one metre (3.3 ft) for each week of the year and is made of durable and weather-resistant PTFE -coated glass fibre fabric panels (original plans to use PVC-coated polyester fabric were dropped after protest led by Greenpeace ), with each of the 72 segments containing two panels. Its symmetry is interrupted by a hole through which a ventilation shaft from the Blackwall Tunnel rises. Six segments were destroyed during Storm Eunice on 18 February 2022. Built in 15 months,

4480-525: The next election manifesto", but criticised in the 2001 Conservative Party manifesto as "banal, anonymous and rootless", and lacking "a sense of Britain's history or culture". Following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales , a member of the Dome's board suggested the project be refashioned and extended "to accommodate, for example, a hospital, businesses, charities, private residences, and the whole thing named 'the Princess Diana Centre ' ". The idea

4560-401: The original dome, were reused. Financial consulting was provided by WT Partnership and EC Harris. The Waterfront partnership provided legal support for the development and continues to do so for The O2. Kerzner International helped with the development of the entertainment venues. Anschutz planned to build a super casino as one of the attractions, which would lead to further development of

4640-458: The piazzas – The London Piazza, Peninsula Square outside the main entrance of The O2, and the area around the main entrance. The London Piazza, which had featured an indoor beach, ice rink and dry ski slope, was replaced by the Icon shopping outlet. Hollywood Bowl is a boutique bowling alley and arcade games space within The O2. In the spring of 2023, a new iFLY indoor skydiving attraction opened, iFLY

4720-484: The press, visitor feedback was positive; as of August 2000, 87% of visitors said they were satisfied with their visit. It was the most popular admission-paying tourist attraction in 2000, with almost twice as many visitors as the second most visited attraction, Alton Towers . According to the UK National Audit Office , the cost of The Dome at the liquidation of the New Millennium Experience Company in 2002

4800-593: The problem was that the financial predictions were based on an unrealistically high forecast of visitor numbers at 12 million. During the first year that it was open there were approximately 6.5 million visitors – significantly fewer than the approximately 10 million paying visitors that attended the Festival of Britain , which only ran from May to September. Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938 , held in Glasgow, attracted more than 12 million visitors, being open May to October. Unlike

4880-399: The project's official name on 25 May 2005. In 2017, O2's name sponsorship was extended for a further ten years. The £6 million per year deal between O2 and AEG included priority tickets and reserved VIP accommodation for O2 mobile customers. The service was also made available to premium ticket holders. O2 started talks with AEG in 2005 to have its logo and branding placed on the roof of

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4960-424: The site became the subject of much critical comment. The amount spent on maintaining the closed building was also criticised. Shortly after it had closed, Lord Falconer reported that The Dome was costing over £1 million per month to maintain. Following closure of the Dome, some Zones were dismantled by the sponsoring organisations, but much of the content was auctioned or donated to Disney World. This included

5040-521: 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. A report in 2005 by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee found that the cost of the process of selling the Dome and surrounding land (which increased to 170 acres from the initial offering of the 48 acres enclosed by

5120-481: The size, scope and funding of the project, and construction began in June 1997. It also significantly increased expectations of what would be delivered. Just before its opening Blair claimed the Dome would be "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity". In the words of BBC correspondent Robert Orchard, "the Dome was to be highlighted as a glittering New Labour achievement in

5200-567: The start of The Line, a modern art trail connecting the O2 to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park . At worst it is a millennial metaphor for the twentieth century. An age in which all things, like the Dome itself, became disposable. A century in which forest and cities, marriages, animal species, races, religions and even the Earth itself, became ephemeral. What more cynical monument can there be for this totalitarian cocksure fragile age than

5280-407: The tent of The O2 was damaged, with the fibre-glass canopy covering the roof being partially torn off by high winds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) in London. In December 2001, the government announced that Meridian Delta had been chosen to develop the Dome as a sports and entertainment centre. Meridian Delta, a subsidiary of Quintain and Lendlease , signed a 999-year lease for the Dome with

5360-417: The third millennium; consequently The Dome remains a name in common usage for the venue. It is sometimes referred to as The O2 Arena , but that name properly refers to the indoor arena within The O2. Naming rights to the district were purchased by the mobile telephone provider O2 from its developers, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), during the development of the district. AEG owns the long-term lease on

5440-497: The title " OVO The Millennium Show ". The story of the 2000 Millennium Dome Show based on it. The show opened on 1 January 2000 and was performed 999 times before closing on 31 December of that year. sponsored by Walt Disney World . The interior space was subdivided into 14 zones : "Who We Are" (Body, Faith, Mind and Self-Portrait), "What We Do" (Work, Learning, Rest, Play, Talk, Money and Journey) and "Where We Live" (Shared Ground, Living Island and Home Planet). Surrounded by

5520-523: The venue for a number of free music festivals organised by the Mayor of London under the "Respect" banner. Over the 2004 Christmas period, part of the main dome was used as a shelter for the homeless and others in need, organised by the charity Crisis after superseding the London Arena , which had previously hosted the event. In 2005, when work began for the redevelopment of the Dome, the London Arena hosted

5600-426: The western edge of the Dome and the nearest London Underground station is North Greenwich on the Jubilee line . The dome is one of the largest of its type in the world. Externally, it appears as a large white marquee with twelve 100-metre-high (330 ft) yellow support towers, one for each month of the year, or each hour of the clock face, representing the role played by Greenwich Mean Time . In plan view it

5680-435: The world by usable volume . The exhibition was open to the public from 1 January to 31 December 2000. The project and exhibition were highly contentious and attracted barely half of the 12 million customers its sponsors forecasted, and so were deemed a failure by the press. All the original exhibition elements were sold or dismantled. In a 2005 report, the cost of the Dome and surrounding land (which increased to 170 acres from

5760-636: The zones was a performance area in the centre of the dome. With music composed by Peter Gabriel and an acrobatic cast of 160, the Millennium Dome Show was performed 999 times over the course of the year. Throughout the year, the specially-commissioned film Blackadder: Back & Forth was shown in Skyscape (a separate cinema on the site sponsored by BSkyB ). There was also the McDonald's Our Town Story project in which each Local Education Authority in

5840-409: Was adapted for the London stage by television celebrity Sandi Toksvig . The O2 also has one multi-purpose indoor events space for live music and night clubbing. Competing with other similar events spaces such as Brixton Academy , the club is called Building Six (formerly Matter & Proud2). Special events or minor events which did not require or could not be held in the indoor venues were held in

5920-459: Was engineered by Buro Happold , and the entire roof structure weighs less than the air contained within the building. Although referred to as a dome it is "not a dome in the structural sense [...] In this building, a dome-shaped cable network is supported on a ring of [...] masts". It has been disparagingly referred to as the Millennium Tent. The canopy is 52 metres (170 ft) high in

6000-518: Was later scrapped. Before its opening, the Dome was excoriated in Iain Sinclair 's diatribe, Sorry Meniscus – Excursions to the Millennium Dome (Profile Books: London 1999, ISBN   1-86197-179-6 ), which forecast the hype, the associated political posturing, and the eventual disillusion. The post-exhibition plan had been to convert the Dome into a European football stadium which would last for 25 years: Charlton Athletic at one point considered

6080-511: Was reopened to the public on 24 June 2007 with a concert by Bon Jovi in the arena. The O2 celebrated its first year with a book, including a double page picture of Elton John from his September 2007 Red Piano show. Prior to this reopening, other events took place, including a soft opening for residents of the area to explore the entertainment district and an opening for staff called "The O2 Premiere" which featured Peter Kay , Tom Jones , Kaiser Chiefs and Basement Jaxx . An event called "Out of

6160-455: Was seen by the then Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine as an investment that would add a large area of useful land to the crowded capital. The Dome project was conceived, originally on a somewhat smaller scale, under John Major 's Conservative government , as a Festival of Britain or World's Fair -type showcase to celebrate the third millennium . The incoming Labour government elected in 1997 under Tony Blair greatly expanded

6240-498: Was undertaken by the dome's new owners, the Anschutz Entertainment Group , to a design by HOK SVE and Buro Happold . It cost £600 million, and the resulting venue opened to the public on 24 June 2007, with a concert by rock band Bon Jovi . During the 2012 Summer Olympics , the artistic gymnastics events, along with the medal rounds of basketball, were held at The O2. It also held wheelchair basketball events during

6320-517: Was used for the debut of the snooker format, Power Snooker . In 2012 it was the venue for a performance by South Korean pop rock band CN Blue . The Indigo also hosted the 2020 BDO World Darts Championship . The O2 Bubble was a two-storey bubble-shaped exhibition space built to museum standards, which opened in November 2007. It was made from ETFE , the same material used for the Eden Project , and

6400-417: Was £789 million, of which £628 million was covered by National Lottery grants and £189 million through sales of tickets etc. A surplus of £25 million over costs meant that the full lottery grant was not required. The £603 million of lottery money was still £204 million in excess of the original estimate of £399 million required, due to the shortfall in visitor numbers. The government's difficulties in selling

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