Planning permission sought for new 450 bedroom hotel on Greenwich Peninsula
February 2, 2010 by Rob Powell
A planning application has been lodged with Greenwich Council for the construction of a 452 bedroom hotel next to the O2 arena.
The large development, on what is known as plot NO301, would also include a separate 22-storey tower comprising of 100 serviced apartments, a ballroom & events space and a health spa.
The Evening Standard quotes David Campbell, of AEG Europe, as saying: “The O2 has already created more than 2,500 direct jobs in Greenwich. However, the real economic prize for Greenwich and east London is adding overnight visitors.”
At present the nearest hotels to the O2 – recently named as the World’s most popular music venue in ticket sales – are the Express by Holiday Inn and the Pilot Inn guest house.
The planning application and association documents can be seen in full at the Greenwich Council website.
Related link: Greenwich Hotels
Peter Pan at the O2, Greenwich
December 1, 2009 by Rob Powell
JM Barrie’s magical story of Peter Pan arrived at the O2 today with a critically acclaimed production in Meridian Gardens.
The show was big success when staged in Kensington Gardens earlier this year, and now you can see it at the O2 on the Greenwich Peninsula until the 10th January 2010.
Performed “in the round” in a specially commissioned, state-of-the-art 1300 seat theatre-tent, the production includes a breathtaking 360-degree projected scenic design.
Jonathan Hyde takes on the role of Captain Hook, Ciaran Kellgren is Peter Pan and Abby Ford appears as Wendy.
Tickets for the production are available now from Ticketmaster.co.uk
JLS at the O2, Greenwich in December 2010
December 1, 2009 by Rob Powell
Successful boyband, JLS, have announced a new arena tour for December 2010, which will include a visit to the O2 arena in North Greenwich.
The male vocal harmony group have enjoyed enormous success since they were the runners up in 2008’s X-Factor with number one hit singles “Breathe Again” and “Everybody In Love”
The group said in a statement on their website, “It’s every singers dream to play venues like the O2, Wembley and Manchester’s MEN arena to such huge audiences! It’s going to be a spectacular and we can’t wait for all our supporters to see the show!!”
It will be something of a homecoming for band member Marvin Humes, who originally hails from Herbert Road, Woolwich.
Order tickets online from Ticketmaster.
Greenwich.co.uk Goes Behind The Scenes of Got To Dance
November 6, 2009 by Rosie Dow
Greenwich.co.uk went backstage at the auditions of Sky1’s new ‘Got to Dance’ programme at the O2 in North Greenwich to find out the reality of reality TV.
The formula of the TV talent contest is now permanently engrained in popular culture. 1. Enlist celebrity judges. 2. Find a few-hundred exhibitionist members of the public (talent not compulsory). 3. Get said judges to embarrass said public; and the recent addition of 4. make them go through it all in front of a studio audience at the O2 in North Greenwich. But, when you get behind the scenes, is it really all as trivial and cruel as it seems?
Last weekend it was Sky 1’s turn to visit the peninsula with ‘Got to Dance’ where the focus is on finding, well, dancers. West-End star Adam Garcia, Pussycat Doll Kimberley Wyatt and Diversity dancer Ashley Banjo make up the judging panel and the contestants are guided through it all by Reality TV queen Davina McCall and her unlimited provision of hugs. Troupes of street dancers, the odd tap group, pole dancers and a creepily accurate Michael Jackson impersonator parade out in front of the judges, have 90 seconds to give it ‘their all’ before being routinely dismissed back into obscurity.
It sounds rather callous, doesn’t it? But when the barrier of the TV is removed, it’s not actually the superficial farce I expected. As an audience member you genuinely root for the performers, even booing the judges when they send acts home. You have to admire both their guts and their physical capability – one girl held herself upside down on a pole by her thighs and still didn’t get through. I didn’t witness anyone cry or talk about their dead relatives and the contestants are welcomed with a nice holding area, catering facilities and smiling crewmembers. At one point they even paused filming for a young lady who felt a bit queasy. We all applauded when she got back up and had another go.
Kimberley Wyatt was probably the toughest judge to please, voting against all the acts I saw. In her words it’s because “the standard is so high, you have to be perfect; beyond perfect” (only 18 will make it through to the live shows, from hundreds who audition). Remarkably, though, this was as harsh as it got and all three stars made a tireless effort to give constructive remarks to the contestants. Adam Garcia even got on stage to hug a particularly bold octogenarian fan, in turn receiving a Davina-hug himself for being such a good egg, before embarking on his own tap dance routine to rapturous applause. Granted it’s all very odd but dare I say it’s also rather heart warming. Adam’s clearly enthusiastic about this project; he says it’s “all about representing what loads of people are really doing out there. It doesn’t always matter how good it is”. Just as well, really – they only put through 1 of the 8 acts I saw. Tentatively.
Of course this is ultimately neither a high brow nor an altruistic endeavour. My two neighbours and I took delight in forming our own little judging panel and we were much harsher than the real judges. At one point I think I even said “their pirouettes just weren’t tight enough, they can’t cut it”. After all I am a choreography expert – must be those aerobics classes I took in 2002. Worst of all I couldn’t help making little bets with myself about who was going to trip over first.
It’s our voyeuristic instinct that these shows tap into and it’s the reason they have become the phenomenon they have. Although I feel slightly better for knowing that the auditions aren’t always as cutthroat as they look, I’m still anxious to know who’s going be kicked out first when it comes to the live shows. So after all that it’s not really the programme that’s cruel, it’s just me…
*Got to Dance will be shown on Sky 1 from January. You can join in the fun yourself at the Dance Flash Mob in London on 21 November. Keep an eye on their website to find out where to go and how to dance!
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2
September 19, 2009 by Rob Powell
The world’s best tennis players will be at the O2 in North Greenwich for the finals of the Barclays ATP World Tour this November.
The top 8 players take part a round robin format which guarantees 3 matches each before progressing to the semi final and then the final. The players who have so far qualified for the event are Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro, who last week stormed to victory at the US Open.
Formerly known as the Tennis Masters Cup, the ATP World Tour Finals will be held at the O2 in North Greenwich from 2009 to 2012.
The 2009 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are taking place between November 22 – 29 – you can buy tickets online via Ticketmaster.
Michael Jackson Dies Weeks Before O2 Concerts
June 26, 2009 by Rob Powell
The shock death of pop legend Michael Jackson comes just weeks before he was due to start his series of concerts at the O2 in North Greenwich.
The “This Is It” tour was announced back in March, and fans of the singer from around the world had snapped up tickets for the fifty dates.
Doubts had been raised about the singer’s fitness and whether he would be physically able to meet the demands of the live shows. He hadn’t performed live for over a decade and the starting date for the residency had already been put back.
AEG, operators of the dome, and its ticketing partners will now have to deal with the huge administrative task of refunding the many hundreds of thousands of tickets that have been purchased and trying to find new acts to fill the dates that Jackson was due to perform.
Walking With Dinosaurs at the O2 Arena
May 27, 2009 by Rob Powell
Walking with Dinosaurs is the spectaculat exhibition taking place at the O2 from August 5th through to the end of the month. Based on the populat BBC TV series, the breathtaking show gives visitors the chance to get up close and personal with dinosaurs constructed from state of the art animatronics and puppetry.
Buy Tickets for Walking with Dinosaurs at the O2
Michael Jackson at the O2 Arena
March 3, 2009 by Rob Powell
The King of Pop, Michael jackson, has announced a series of dates at the O2 arena in North Greenwich.The news came in a press conference at the O2 where the man himself announced to onlooking fans that “this is it”, and indeed that will be the name of the concerts. Jackson says these will be his last London concerts ever so this is your chance to see the legend behind so many great hits.
He is signed up for a 10 day residency starting from the 8th July but there is speculation that this could be extended if the demand is there.
Michael Jackson last performed in the UK with a brief appearance at the World Music Awards in 2006.
To find out about tickets for these events, visit the Ticketmaster website.
See Dead Bodies For Free on Mon 23rd Feb
February 21, 2009 by Rob Powell
Thanks to Jack for letting me know that Greenwich Card holders can get into the Bodyworlds exhibition at the O2 for free on Monday 23rd February.
British Music Experience at the O2
February 19, 2009 by Rob Powell
British Music Experience at the O2 – From March 2009
The British Music Experience is a new permanent exhibition at the O2 arena’s Bubble exhibition space. Using cutting edge audio and visual displays, it will celebrate the last 60 years of British music, including pop, rock and dance music.
It offers seven distinct zones showcasing different eras in British music since 1945. It’s a great opportunity explore the best of Brit music since the end of World War II up until the present day. There’s also the chance to play instruments yourself and some awesome artefacts such as David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust costume and Noel Gallagher’s Union flag guitar.
The British Music Experience is now open, and is a great day out for the family. Tickets cost £15 for adults, £12 for kids with special prices available for family tickets and concessions for the disabled/unemployed.
Click here to buy tickets online for the British Music Experience at the O2.
Have you been to the British Music Experience? Leave your reviews and comments in the comments box below.
