APRIL SEPTEMBER MAY | COVER | FEATURE
15 Years of The O2
The opening of The O2 arena on June 24 , 2007 was a game changing moment for the UK live events industry , not least the arena sector . Fifteen years on and the venue ’ s ongoing importance and popularity remain undiminished . Access explores the venue ’ s evolution and AEG ’ s plans for its future .
Words : Christopher Barrett
In June this year , 15-years to the month since Anschutz Entertainment Group ( AEG ) opened the doors of The O2 arena , the venue enjoyed its busiest month to date .
Every year since it opened The O2 has been among the busiest arenas in the world , so for AEG to break the arena ’ s monthly events record 15 years down the line was no mean feat and speaks volumes about its continued status .
In what proved to be an incredibly busy month for the arena , The O2 hosted 25 shows in June , including six nights of Billie Eilish and 10 concerts by Queen + Adam Lambert .
“ It was our best month ever , phenomenal in terms of audience reach , and the work we did with Reverb and Billie Eilish on the multi- day Overheated climate-focused event was hugely important ,” says AEG Europe chief operating officer John Langford – who oversees the company ’ s many arenas across the region including The O2 .
The momentum shows no sign of slackening ; with more than 220 event days planned at the venue in 2023 , Langford says it will be The O2 ’ s busiest year yet .
Over the past 15 years there have been countless developments and landmark moments at The O2 arena itself , as well as elsewhere within and indeed on top of the 80,000 squaremetre white tent-like structure that encompasses it .
Among the many key musical
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