O2 Arena (Millennium Dome)

O2 Arena – upcoming shows

The O2 Activity Zone
Buy tickets at Ticketmaster Buy cheap tickets26th Jun – 5th Sep 2010 The O2 Activity Zone features everything Mini-Golf and Aqua-Globes to a 24-feet wall for kids to climb. There is also a Bungee Trampoline and Bungee Run — just as you think you are going to reach the end, the bungee cord will send you flying all the way back to the start!

Comedian Eddie Kadi, at the O2 Arena
Get cheap tickets Buy tickets Tickets4th Sep 2010 Eddie Kadi has been taking the comedy world by storm for the past few years. A nominee in the Channel 4 Talent Comedy Awards, he is considered by many to be the UK’s premier black comedian. You can catch him when he plays the O2 Arena in September.

The Royal Horse Gala
Buy tickets at Ticketmaster Buy cheap tickets11th – 12th Sep 2010 The Royal Horse Gala is a spectacular presentation of choreographed dressage from five of the world’s leading riding schools. 36 impressive stallions will perform flamboyant displays of classical dressage to the lively sounds of flamenco music, enhanced by lighting that will conjure up the passion of Spain.

The Millennium Dome is a huge metal tent lying on a bend of the Thames near Greenwich. It was opened to the public on 1st January 2000, amidst much media grumbling.

It was commissioned by the Government as one of London’s millennium projects – along with the London Eye and Jubilee Line extension.

It is the largest single-roofed building in the world, measuring 3,280 feet in circumference – tall enough to accommodate Nelson’s Column standing upright, or the Eiffel Tower on its side.

The O2 Millennium Dome

The original plan was to turn the Dome into a glorious Great Exhibition, but that bit the dust within a year. The plans were ill-conceived and poorly thought out, and suffered from massive public apathy. It didn’t help that the exhibits were rather less than enthralling…

The venue was split into fourteen zones – Body, Work, Learning, Money, Play, Journey, Self Portrait, Living Island, Talk, Faith, Home Planet, Rest, Mind, and Shared Ground – containing educational exhibits and information displays. But over-optimistic visitor numbers (12 million) meant that it fell woefully short of cash, and the Government was frequently asked to bail it out.

Despite its lousy reputation, the Dome still managed to attract 6.5 million people in its first 12 months of operation – hardly a disaster. Indeed, this number was slightly higher than the Festival of Britain managed in 1951.

Many new plans were proposed for the Dome since its closure, and there was talk of turning it into a casino, a sports venue, or a music arena with shops and offices. The mobile communication company O2 eventually won out, and turned it into an entertainment complex called the O2 Arena.

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Information

Facts and information

Address:: O2 Arena (Millennium Dome), Drawdock Road, North Greenwich,
London SE10 0BB
England
Telephone:: Work +44 (0) 208 463 2000
Buses:: 108, 188, 422, 472, M1, M2
Trains:: North Greenwich JB
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