The O2 arena, referred to as North Greenwich Arena in the context of the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics, is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in London, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants. It was built largely within the former Millennium Dome, a large dome-shaped building built to house an exhibition celebrating the turn of the third millennium; as such, The Dome remains a name in common usage for the venue.. It is named after its main sponsor, the telecommunications company O2.
The O2 Arena has the second-highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the UK, behind the Manchester Arena, but 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 the Jubilee line 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 a commuter service, Thames Clippers also operates the O2 Express service.
It is often referred by various names: the O2 Dome; the O2 Centre, which properly refers to an unrelated shopping centre on Finchley Road; or The O2 Arena, which properly refers to a smaller 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 the O2 Arena and surrounding leisure space.
From the closure of the original “Millennium Experience” exhibition occupying the site, several possible ways of reusing the Millennium Dome’s shell were proposed and then rejected. The official renaming of the Dome in 2005 gave publicity to its transition into an entertainment district. The Dome’s shell itself remained in site, but its interior and the area around North Greenwich Station, the QE2 pier and the main entrance area were completely redeveloped.
