Page 1 of 3
The Millennium Dome/ "The O2"
Posted: Wed 25 May, 2005 23.37
by nwtv2003
BBC News London wrote:Dome to reopen as concert arena
The Millennium Dome hopes to be a stage for musicians such as U2 and Sir Paul McCartney when it reopens as an entertainment arena in April 2007.
Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and mobile phone company O2 say they plan "Europe's finest music venue".
"Britain is the heart and soul of live music. But we are amazed that you do not have a world class facility," AEG's Tim Leiweke told reporters.
The £758m Dome was built as a Millennium project and opened in 2000.
Intended as a symbol of the new, brighter Britain and funded by more than £600m of lottery money, the dome was mired in controversy from its inception.
The brainchild of the Tory party, Tony Blair reputedly overruled widespread scepticism from the new Labour cabinet to stop the project being scrapped when he became Prime Minister in 1997.
The year-long exhibition, the Millennium Experience, failed to secure the predicted 12 million visitors and the attraction rapidly began losing money.
Public indifference joined allegations of poor financial management and marketing which dogged the project until its closure as planned at the end of 2000.
Since then taxpayers have paid out more than £30m to maintain the Dome, with businesses unwilling to take over the venue.
AEG, part of consortium involved in the redevelopment of the Greenwich Peninsula, signed an agreement to take over the lease of the Dome with Greenwich Council in February 2004.
Film premieres
The building will be renamed The O2 and has been redesigned to feature a British music hall of fame, a Jazz and Blues street, an 1,800-seat theatre, and a 2,200-capacity music club alongside restaurants, bars and an outdoor arena and piazza.
The 23,000-capacity indoor arena aims to host up to 150 music, entertainment and sports events in its first year.
"London is the number one live entertainment market in the whole world," said Mr Leiweke. "The O2 will be the finest music venue, the finest arena anywhere in Europe."
It is hoped that film premieres will be staged at the Dome, with 10 cinema screens due to be built on the site.
Sporting events could include boxing, gymnastics, tennis and figure skating, with an ice rink set to be built on site.
The Dome also forms part of the London 2012 Olympic bid and could host the basketball and gymnastic events.
Also saw it being reported on BBC London News and the late edition of London Tonight, it doesn't seem like a bad idea really. Though I wonder if it'll be dogged by all of the problems and failures that the original Dome had.
But they had that Nick Ferrari guy on London Tonight saying that it wouldn't be a good idea, as you couldn't see Hollywood movie stars coming to South of the river to attend a Premiere.
About time they've decided as it's been left idle for almost five years now.
Posted: Wed 25 May, 2005 23.50
by Nick Harvey
nodnirG kraM wrote:I think it's a fantastic idea: it's got its own Tube station and everything after all.
But what it HASN'T got is a phuquing great car park; and, whether our public transport loving government and London administration like it or not, THAT'S what Joe Public wants if he's going to go to a venue and make it successful.
I'm STILL of the opinion that that's largely what made it a flop in Millennium year.
Posted: Wed 25 May, 2005 23.54
by Nick Harvey
Grin!
The second "n" appeared within a minute.
You, yer bast'd, managed to reply in half a minute!
Posted: Wed 25 May, 2005 23.56
by DAS
You missed out the A and the R, Mr Harvey.
Posted: Thu 26 May, 2005 00.01
by Nick Harvey
No way!
None would have arrived for an hour and a half, then they'd all have arrived together, but on separate buses.
Posted: Thu 26 May, 2005 00.03
by nwtv2003
Nick Harvey wrote:nodnirG kraM wrote:I think it's a fantastic idea: it's got its own Tube station and everything after all.
But what it HASN'T got is a phuquing great car park; and, whether our public transport loving government and London administration like it or not, THAT'S what Joe Public wants if he's going to go to a venue and make it successful.
I'm STILL of the opinion that that's largely what made it a flop in Millennium year.
That's what O2 and AEG are worried about, but they are keen to turn around people's opinions of the place.
Overall I think it seems like a good idea, also good to see that they're using Private money this time round.
Posted: Thu 26 May, 2005 00.12
by Jamez
Nick Harvey wrote:No way!
None would have arrived for an hour and a half, then they'd all have arrived together, but on separate buses.
Talking of buses, I passed one today which had those electronic displays on the front (they still have the wind-around around ones in Pembrokeshire), which informed me that the bus was heading to "XXX".
I want to visit XXX!!
Posted: Thu 26 May, 2005 00.37
by Chris
"The o2" just sounds really naff.
Posted: Thu 26 May, 2005 08.22
by Johnny
Jamez wrote:Nick Harvey wrote:No way!
None would have arrived for an hour and a half, then they'd all have arrived together, but on separate buses.
Talking of buses, I passed one today which had those electronic displays on the front (they still have the wind-around around ones in Pembrokeshire), which informed me that the bus was heading to "XXX".
I want to visit XXX!!
All London buses still have the wind round ones. I'm sure they dabbled witrh the idea of electronic ones but they were ruled a fialure as parts of the signage broke down.
Posted: Thu 26 May, 2005 13.04
by Nick Harvey
Jamez wrote:I want to visit XXX!
Wouldn't bother. The beer's only half strength!
Chris wrote:"The o2" just sounds really naff.
Just a load of hot air!
Posted: Thu 26 May, 2005 15.25
by mikejprz
with the Troc at Picadilly Circus about to be gutted and sold off I guess that kind of place has to go somewhere - at least all the chav and scallys can hang round there instead and let Greenwich deal with them.