A World Class Venue: Tips and Advice. (The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome))

Member Name: bensci

Product:	The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome)
Date:	13/11/09 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent acoustics, good views, great shows.

Disadvantages: Transportation can be a pain...

Firstly, I must point out that I work in The o2, but this does not bias my opinion! I know the inside-outs of the place and the common problems people may face.

The Good:
The Arena itself (with up to 23,000 capacity) has been voted the world's best for two years running now, and assuming everything goes smoothly its easy to see why. Emphasis is on getting people in and out quickly and easily, with a good, unobstructed view from the seating and excellent acoustics.

The Arena is quite versatile as a venue, with the ability to have various stage setups (such as a standard venue, or a centre stage where the crowd surrounds), as well as being an ice-rink and sports arena (if you look towards the roof you will see the basketball score machine). Unlike some older venues, the Arena has no supporting columns, so as long as the person in front of you isn't a giant you should have an unobstructed view of the stage.

There are outlets around the Arena, providing food, drink and merchandise. The food and drink can be quite pricey (£4.50 for a pint), but this is the standard price for any captive audience in a music or sports venue. You also cant bring food into the Arena. The merchandise outlets (outside in the Foyer, as well as beside doors 103, 110 and 414) provide various event merchandise. Please note, the o2 itself doesn't set the price of goods, the band (etc.) management does, and the staff have no control over prices, nor can offer discounts.

Merchandise tip: The Foyer stand outside the entrance will always have the most stock and variety, but also tends to be the busiest, so get there early. If you cant, try the inside merchandise stands at the earliest possible opportunity, as stock there may be limited in number, size and style. Also, if its just a programme you want, visit one of the many hawkers wandering about or at a little stand as it saves queuing (cash only).

Money tip: There are few cash machines in the o2, as many people choose to pay by card instead. If you do want cash, it may be worth using those within the tube and bus station, as there are only 3 in the o2 (outside the Arena) itself. These are situated in the Main Entrance Foyer opposite Gates A, B and C. There is one cash machine inside the Arena, situated at door 117.

The Bad:
I recommend you don't drive to the o2, but instead use public transport. Traffic leaving the car-parks can be dreadful after the show, on busy event days taking up to an hour and a half to leave the area. Saying that, on some occasions you may have to wait 15 minutes or so to get into the tube station, as the station managers sometimes decide the platforms are too crowded and limit the flow. To avoid this, it is sometimes better to get the scenic way to the o2: by Thames Clipper along the Thames. It doesn't cost much (especially with a travelcard) and takes about half an hour to get to Waterloo.

Also, I recommend you don't get tickets for Level 4 if you dislike heights. It is very high indeed and if you have vertigo its a big no-no. On certain shows, if there are empty seats and you desperately require it, the Customer Service Assistants may be able to move you a bit lower down, but this is certainly not guaranteed and may split your group apart, nor should it be used as a tactic to get a better view as this may not be the case.

All in all, the o2 Arena itself is an excellent venue, world class and good to visit (as I have done myself several times). You wont find better in the UK.

Summary: You wont find better in the UK!