London’s O2 Arena, formerly the Millennium Dome, is now the most popular live venue in the world after enjoying a bumper 2012, reports the London Evening Standard.
The O2 has become a regular stop off for many major music acts since it was converted into a live entertainment centre in 2007, and sold over two million tickets last year after appearances from the likes of The Rolling Stones and Beyonce added to a lucrative period hosting the 2012 Olympics gymnastics.
This all amounted to a revenue of £63 million – the highest amount since it launched and a figure unmatched anywhere else in the world.
“The increase in revenue in the year is mainly due to the Olympic and Paralympic rental,” finance director Sarah Brooks said.
The Rolling Stones chose The 02 as the first location for their 50th anniversary tour late last year, and generated some negative headlines when certain hospitality packages were put on sale at a price approaching £1,000 a pop.