Christopher BarrettFor the latest edition of the Access All Areas Explores burgeoning venue film series, we go behind the scenes and on the roof at AEG Europe’s The O2.
Whether it was Bon Jovi performing on the roof, Prince playing a 21-night residency, Led Zeppelin’s triumphant return or Drake changing the venue’s name to The O3, there have been countless landmark moments at The O2 arena since its doors were first flung open to the public on June 24, 2007.
We meet the venue’s SVP & GM Steve Sayer who explains that 17 years after it opened The O2 remains in high demand; typically staging more than 200 events per year. With 2.5 million tickets for shows at the venue sold last year, The O2 proved once again to be the busiest arena in the world.
As well as discussing the venue’s show format flexibility, production facilities, backstage offering and the ability to stage cross-campus, festival-style, events, we also explored the most recently unveiled public-facing facility.
Launched in January this year, 300-capacity members club The NinetyThird by Qatar Airways is the result of an investment of more than £7 million by AEG. The 1,150 sqm premium space has seen the London venue become the first arena in the world to feature a retractable walkway.
In 2022, The O2 arena was the first English arena to gain Greener Arena certification for its sustainability measures. We caught up with AEG Europe sustainability director Sam Booth who discusses an array of changes made at the venue, including removing beef from the menus, introducing a re-usable cup system, and the roll out of seaweed-based biodegradable serveware that along with the food waste is processed onsite in a wormery. Booth also discusses the results of The 1975’s carbon-removed shows at the arena and the plans to expand the initiative.
AAA Explores includes revealing profiles of other key venues including Outernet London and the Royal Albert Hall, Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, Ascot Racecourse and Berlin’s Uber Eats Music Hall and Uber Arena, with further key venues including AO Arena and OVO Arena Wembley in the pipeline.