The O2 (London) - Chronology of The Site

Chronology of The Site

• 1994: The Millennium Commission is established by prime minister John Major and handed over to deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine.
• January 1996: A site on the Greenwich Peninsula is selected. Birmingham, Derby and Stratford, London were also considered.
• May 1999: The Jubilee Line Extension opens, putting the dome on the London Underground.
• 22 June 1999: The structure of the dome is completed.
• 1 January 2000: The dome structure opens to public as the Millennium Dome, containing an exhibition to celebrate the third millennium.
• 31 December 2000: The dome closes to the public.
• 27 February 2001 – 2 March 2001: One Amazing Auction Sale: Four-day public auction with 17,000 lots of Dome/NMEC items, managed by auctioneer Henry Butcher
• 18 December 2001: Announcement of sale of the site to Meridian Delta Ltd, who plan to turn it into a 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue. Houses and offices will be built on the surrounding land, subject to the consent of the London Borough of Greenwich.
• 6 December 2003: Winter Wonderland 2003 opens.
• 31 May 2005: Anschutz Entertainment Group sell the naming rights to the former Millennium Dome to O2 plc, a British mobile phone company.
• 23 June 2007: The O2's 'O2 premiere' private event opens to staff. Peter Kay, Tom Jones, Kaiser Chiefs and Basement Jaxx perform.
• 24 June 2007: The O2 opens to the public. Bon Jovi is the first band to open the new O2 Arena.
• 2 September 2007: Disney channel's High School Musical 2 premieres at The O2; it is the first movie to premiere at the venue.
• 6 April 2008: Olympic torch passes The O2 during relay in London.
• 7 June 2010: Bon Jovi become the first band to play on the roof of The O2 to commemorate the beginning of their 12-night residency in the arena.