We love... The Dome (honestly)

THE Millennium Dome was hated by many and seen as a hugely expensive white elephant on the banks of the Thames.

But things have changed. It is now called O2. And the centrepiece O2 Arena opens next month with a sell-out Bon Jovi concert on June 24.

And music fans are loving it. The O2 Arena has sold one million advance tickets, it was announced yesterday.

Music fans have been snapping up tickets to see the likes of Barbra Streisand, Justin Timberlake, Take That, the Rolling Stones and Prince.

The healthy ticket sales will help lay to rest memories of the ill-fated Dome.

The giant structure in Greenwich, south-east London, turned out to be an enormous white elephant for the Blair government.

David Campbell, chief executive and president of O2 owners AEG Europe, said, “This achievement speaks for itself. We’ve got London’s newest state-of-the-art venue, with the world’s most exciting artists all wanting to perform here – and the public flocking to see them.

“I know that when people experience the O2 they’ll come back again and again to enjoy more world-class concerts, events and exhibitions.”

The venue has undergone a £600m redevelopment and the 20,000-seater arena will play host to music, entertainment and sporting events.

The eagerly awaited Tutankhamun exhibition will open there in November.

The O2 is also an official venue for the 2012 Olympics, hosting gymnastics and basketball.

And while gig-goers elsewhere have to put up with plastic glasses of warm beer, the venue hopes to provide a superior experience by serving premium lager chilled to four degrees.

Anita Singh

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