The venue, now renamed 'The O2', will form the centrepiece of the multi-billion pound development, set to open in early 2007. It will incldue an indoor arena with a capacity of up to 23,000, that will, according to the partnership's plans, host at least 120 world-class music, entertainment and sport events in its first year of opening. Within the facility there will be the O2 Music Club with a capacity of over 2,000, an ice rink called the O2 Ice Pad, and a "bubble" shaped exhibition space and a vibrant "entertainment district" featuring a variety of bars, restaurants, retail and leisure facilities.
The partnership between O2 and AEG, a multi-year deal worth £6 million per year from 2007, has three core elements: firstly, the two companies will work together to bring exclusive music and entertainment content to O2 phones and devices; secondly, every O2 customer will be able to enjoy VIP privileges at The O2, and thirdly, mobile technology and interactivity will be integral to every element of the experience.
"In addition to creating the very best venues, AEG's passion is the promotion and production of music, sport and entertainment programming," said David Campbell, newly-appointed president and CEO of AEG Europe. He added: "Unlike other arenas, The O2 will be designed for music, offering great acoustics for the performers and modern facilities for the fans. In addition, the way we have developed the space allows us to attract world-class sporting competitions and special events - some that never would have considered London before now. We are currently finalising our first raft of events for The O2, which we look forward to announcing in the coming weeks and months."
(Lee Baldock)
