The O2 in London has marked a historic year in 2023.

The venue is celebrating an impressive record of over 2.5 million tickets sold across more than 200 events. This achievement surpassed the previous year’s record of 2.3 million ticket sales and reflected a 9.3% increase in year-on-year ticket sales since 2019, excluding the years affected by the global pandemic.

Since its grand opening in 2007, The O2 has become a cultural hub, hosting over 3,000 events and attracting more than 100 million visitors. The venue’s success is underlined by over 30 million ticket sales. This year’s milestone was marked by the 3,000th performance, a show by Sir Tom Jones, who added to the venue’s list of iconic performances.

Steve Sayer, senior vice-president and general manager at The O2, expressed his enthusiasm, describing 2023 as a “phenomenal year of milestones.” He attributed the success to headline performances by global icons such as Madonna and Elton John. Sayer acknowledged that the record-breaking ticket sales solidify The O2’s position as the world’s busiest arena, setting the stage for further accomplishments in 2024 and beyond.

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In addition to overall ticket sales, The O2 achieved other notable records in 2023. Priority tickets, with over 390,000 sold to O2 and Virgin Media customers, saw a 67% increase from the previous year. Furthermore, 24 artists made their debut at The O2, doubling the number from the previous year. 

Looking ahead, The O2 is set to make history by hosting carbon-removed events, a groundbreaking initiative in collaboration with carbon removal experts CUR8 and sustainable event specialists A Greener Future. This venture aims to set a new standard for environmentally conscious entertainment, with the first of these events featuring The 1975 in February.

“Here’s to all of the fans, bands and brands who’ve supported us this year – we can’t wait for what’s to come in the new year,” Sayer said, acknowledging the crucial role of partners and their contributions to the record-breaking year.