The O2

The O2 is the world’s most popular live entertainment, leisure, and retail destination. Its world famous, 20,000-capacity arena, operated by AEG Europe, hosts over 200 events each year, and has sold over 30 million tickets since opening in 2007.

This is in addition to a large suite of Premium products sitting under a new for ’24 umbrella brand ‘Premium at The O2’. We will focus on four new/refurbished Premium products to highlight the commitment to reinvesting in Premium excellence: The NinetyThird by Qatar Airways (TNTBQA), Club 101, Suite 337, and The OVO Lounge. 275,000 Premium guests came through the tent in ’24 across all products with a record contribution towards The O2’s budget and a 13% uplift on ‘23’s already considerable total.

In January ‘24, The O2 opened the doors to its latest premium lounge; The NinetyThird by Qatar Airways. A £7-million investment, the development of the space involved the renovation of twelve individual suites into the arena’s first 300-capacity, VIP members club. It responds directly to a gap identified in the market for more premium spaces which offer the opportunity for fans to network and enjoy shared experiences.

Set over 1,150 square meters, TNTBQA reinvents what arena-level premium hospitality looks like – from top-drawer catering to artisan cocktails, and the world’s first retractable ‘walkway’ extending over the crowd. The ultimate space to entertain, and to be entertained, providing members with uninterrupted views of the stage. Design choices in the space take inspiration from The O2’s rich music heritage from the artwork in the wall, the 21 Club feature and even the cocktails based on artists like Stormzy and the Spice Girls.

Club 101 is a space for 45 guests on Level One with arguably the best views in the arena. Previously a membership-only product, with limited inclusions there was an opportunity to redefine the space for a broader base of music fans looking for a truly premium experience in ‘the best seats in the house’. The decision was made to completely refurbish the lounge and create a unique hybrid membership model, allowing members to choose 50, 75 or 100 events and allowing The O2 to sell the remaining tickets event by event with a higher yield. Food is now included in every ticket.

The space was completely reimagined with an entrance hallway featuring 100 artist posters and a digital screen so the artist on that night is always the 101st artist. Mirrors were added to make the space feel larger and acoustics increased to stop noise bounce. The marble tops and banquette seating bring this space in line with the incredible view. Food is prepped by chefs in front of the guests in a new dedicated food counter.

Suite 337 was an event-by-event suite sold as shared memberships. The decision was made to reinvent this space as an event-by-event lounge, with hero bar and all-inclusive food and drink offering allowing guests to see their favourite artist in a vibrant and intimate hospitality facility on Suite Level. The key theme running throughout the space is the London music scene. A hero horseshoe bar, adorned with graffiti from renowned street artist Mr Meana reflects a disrupted union jack synonymous with London.

Recognising a need and appetite from customers to experience a fully catered package for their favourite artist and feel like they were enjoying a full suite experience was key. We wanted more of a bar feel and to again highlight The O2 and London’s rich musical heritage with tour posters, framed t-shirts of some key headliners at The O2 set against a map backdrop of the areas they were synonymous with. Selling the suite on an event-by-event basis in this way will add on almost 40% of revenue compared to selling as a licensed suite.

OVO Lounges are a partner led refurbishment existing spaces that needed some love. Allowing access to OVO customers but also saleable inventory for The O2. A fantastic brand led refurb featuring neon signage and upgraded furniture.

’24 was a record year for Premium sales helped in no small part by these innovations in conjunction with 86 suites, 1,000 Encore seats, AMEX Advantage products and others.

For 18 years The O2 has redefined and evolved the Premium experience offering in one of the world’s great cities. With no sports anchor tenant the range of over 200 events annually is matched by the wide range of choice and outstanding experiences for premium customers.

 The O2 continues to lead and innovate, offering something completely unique – a truly global icon.