The O2

About

The O2 is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, a bowling alley, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars, restaurants, and a guided tour to the top of the O2. It was built largely within the former Millennium Dome, a large dome-shaped canopy built to house an exhibition celebrating the turn of the third millennium; consequently, The Dome remains a common name for the venue. It is sometimes referred to as The O2 Arena, but that name properly refers to the indoor arena within The O2. Naming rights for the district were purchased by the mobile telephone provider O2 from its developers, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), during the district's development. AEG owns the long-term lease on the O2 Arena and the surrounding leisure space.

Following the closure of the original Millennium Experience exhibition at the site, several proposals to reuse the Millennium Dome's shell were put forward but rejected. The renaming of the Dome in 2005 gave publicity to its transition into an entertainment district. The Dome's shell remained in situ, but its interior and the area around North Greenwich Station, the QE2 pier, and the main entrance area were completely redeveloped.