After starting life as Labour's disastrous Millenium Dome development, the arena has been transformed into a world class music venue which last year sold 2,349,952 tickets, outselling its nearest rivals by 75 per cent.
The venue in Greenwich last year featured stars including Tina Turner, Beyonce and Sir
Paul McCartney and hosted the ATP Tour Finals in November.
It narrowly avoided bankruptcy after losing Michael Jackson's 50-night residency when the singer died last June, and has outstripped its 2008 record of 1,806,447 ticket sales by more than 30 per cent.
David Campbell, president and chief executive of AEG Europe, which owns and operates the O2, said: “Events like the ATP Tour Finals at the O2 really did put the eyes of the world on us. London deserves a world-class entertainment destination and we will keep working hard in the next decade to ensure we remain a world leader.”
In second place on the venues chart, compiled by Pollstar, the live music magazine, was the Manchester Evening News Arena with 1,346,090 ticket sales.
Coming third was the Sportpaleis Antwerpen in Belgium with 1,090,407 sales, followed by the Madison Square Garden Arena in New York with 977,868.
The
Wembley Arena In London came eighth with 611,096 sales
Famous Singer, Tina Turner newly suffered another misfortune in her life story with the unexpected death of her older sister Alline.
After starting life as Labour's disastrous Millenium Dome development, the arena has been transformed into a world class music venue which last year sold 2,349,952 tickets, outselling its nearest rivals by 75 per cent.
Veteran pop star Tina Turner may yet call her troupe of dancers out for another world tour, though for the moment she prefers home-cooked dinners and a stress-free life. Sitting in the front row at the Giorgio Armani Prive fashion show in Paris yesterday, the 70-year-old looked radiant in a sparkling black top that revealed ample cleavage, her trademark mass of curls piled up high. “People wanted to see me, so many were holding signs up saying, Thank You,” she said of her 2008 tour, which grossed US$47.7 million (RM162.35 million). “I haven’t made a decision yet,” she told Reuters when asked if she would stage another tour. “I didn’t make a plan for a big tour, with big stadiums. I’m not saying I won’t do it, get the girls out and do something, but I haven’t decided.” Turner has for decades been one of the world’s most successful performers, roaring out hits like “Simply The Best” and “What’s Love Got To Do With It” in stage-stomping, high-octane concerts. At Armani, as models prepared backstage for an haute couture show of sweeping white gowns and folded skirt suits, Turner said she liked simple clothes for everyday wear but still had a passion for racy outfits. “My favourites are short skirts that work for heavy dancing,” she said. “I have a short torso, and it looks better with a short skirt.” And even if another exhausting round of concerts is not imminent, waiting fans may console themselves with the prospect of a new album. “Recording is something that’s always easier than touring. I wouldn’t mind, but nothing’s come my way right now and that’s fine,” Turner said with a smile. Unfazed by the scrum of photographers around her, she said while she loved performing in public, she could see the advantages of a more quiet life.
