Arena Market: UK
The opening of Oak View Group’s new £365m venue, Co-op Live, in May, is a testament to the rude health of the UK’s live music scene at arena level. The market is also home to one of the world’s biggest-grossing arenas (The O2) and one of the world’s most famous – think “Hello, Wembley!”
Audiences are hungry for entertainment of increasingly broad types, as venues find themselves hosting everything from comedy to K-Pop, sports to Latin stars.
One of the world’s biggest-selling arenas is The O2 in London, where VP and general manager Steve Sayer says the next 12–18 months “look good at arena level.” He says the venue has seen a number of residencies from the likes of Olivia Rodrigo (four dates), Liam Gallagher (four), and The Killers (six), with six dates with Billie Eilish lined up for 2025.
The venue just completed a complete Wi-Fi upgrade and opens a new grab-and-go style frictionless payment kiosk in July. “That’s going to be a game-changer that will really improve the guest experience, give fans an opportunity to quickly buy something…
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