The new Cable Car linking Greenwich and the Royal Docks isn’t the only new vantage point in London’s East End.
With the Up at The O2 experience, it’s now possible to scale one of the London 2012 Olympic venues – the O2 Arena in Greenwich.
After handing over £22 and receiving a quick briefing, climbers are kitted up in a climb suit, shoes and a safety harness by highly trained guides before making their way, via a short set of stairs or lift, to the base of the tent ready to start their climb.
They are then guided in groups no bigger than 15 to a central observation platform located slap-bang in the middle of the iconic dome via a 190m-long fabric walkway suspended between The O2’s distinctive yellow masts.
From there, they get panoramic views of the capital, including landmarks such as the Olympic Park, Thames Barrier, The Shard and Canary Wharf.
During the Olympics the dome will be known as The North Greenwich Arena. Over the course of the Games it will play host to the Basketball, Artistic Gymnastics and Trampoline competitions.
The iconic building was first built to hold a large one-year exhibition honouring the millennium. After much wrangling over how to use the unique space, the dome was eventually converted into a performance arena. Today it’s now commonly known as the O2 Arena after the telecoms company that sponsored its conversion.
Since 2008 it has held the crown of the world’s busiest music arena. Depending on the event, it holds up to 20,000 people. Famously, Michael Jackson was set to embark on a lengthy run of shows in the arena for his Is This It tour, but passed away shortly before his opening performance.
Many of the world’s biggest music performers – the likes of The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Muse and Lady Gaga – have staged shows at the O2. It has also played host to numerous major sporting events, not least the ATP World Tour Finals (tennis).
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Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Images: O2 Arena)
