The o2 Arena in London

The Millennium Dome is a huge metal tent lying on a bend of the Thames near Greenwich. It was opened to the public on 1st January 2000, amidst much media grumbling.

It was commissioned by the Government as one of London’s millennium projects – along with the London Eye and Jubilee Line extension.

It is the largest single-roofed building in the world, measuring 3,280 feet in circumference – tall enough to accommodate Nelson’s Column standing upright, or the Eiffel Tower on its side.

The O2 Millennium Dome

The original plan was to turn the Dome into a glorious Great Exhibition, but that bit the dust within a year. The plans were ill-conceived and poorly thought out, and suffered from massive public apathy. It didn’t help that the exhibits were rather less than enthralling…

The venue was split into fourteen zones – Body, Work, Learning, Money, Play, Journey, Self Portrait, Living Island, Talk, Faith, Home Planet, Rest, Mind, and Shared Ground – containing educational exhibits and information displays. But over-optimistic visitor numbers (12 million) meant that it fell woefully short of cash, and the Government was frequently asked to bail it out.

Despite its lousy reputation, the Dome still managed to attract 6.5 million people in its first 12 months of operation – hardly a disaster. Indeed, this number was slightly higher than the Festival of Britain managed in 1951.

Many new plans were proposed for the Dome since its closure, and there was talk of turning it into a casino, a sports venue, or a music arena with shops and offices. The mobile communication company O2 eventually won out, and turned it into an entertainment complex called the O2 Arena.

The O2 plays host to the most sought-after names in rock, pop and classical music, as well as staging must-see sporting events, theatrical productions and shows for all the family. It is the second largest arena in Europe after the Manchester Arena, but is the busiest in the world. During the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the O2 hosted gymnastics, basketball and wheelchair basketball.

Most famous for playing host to the world's biggest musical acts, the O2 keeps jumping all day and night long, even when there isn't a superstar on its stage. Along with the 20,000-seater O2 Arena, the complex contains the smaller indigoO2 venue, an 11-screen cinema, the British Music Experience museum and Up at The O2 – a chance to poke the O2's massive dome roof with your very own finger. The 21 eateries of the O2's Entertainment Avenue offer everything from seafood to steak, American to Thai, and all the combinations in between.