O2-arena It's hard to believe that in the space of a few short years, London's O2 Arena has become a cultural icon as recognisable as the huge dome that houses it.

The world's finest performers and athletes have played to sell-out crowds of tens of thousands here, and we're taking a trawl through the archives to bring you the best ever events to have taken place on the Greenwich peninsula. Check out our shortlist and have your say here in our poll!


Prince (2007) 
The artist formerly known as the man behind Purple Rain wowed crowds for 21 nights in one of the arena's finest residencies.  

New Jersey Nets vs Toronto Raptors (2011)
The Nets slam dunked to victory in the first ever regular season NBA games to be played in the UK, with a host of celebrities in attendance courtside.

Take That: Beautiful World Tour (2007) 
The fab four (now five again) showed they had matured beyond their 90s boy band antics with an extraordinary performance, as much stage show as gig.  

Glee Live (2011) 
The showstopping stars of the hit US show put on a spectacular musical performance for tweens, teens and adults alike.  

Turbo Tennis (2007)
Andy Murray won a thrilling, fast paced knock out tournament against five other legends.

Chris Rock (2008)
The reclusive American comedian wowed audiences with this, the first ever stand up comedy performance at the O2 Arena.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition (2011) 
Staggering discoveries from the doomed vessel, laid out in all their former glory after almost a century buried at the bottom of the ocean. A must-see exhibition.  

Lady Gaga (2010) 
Flamethrowers in bras. Monster puppets the size of houses. Robotic dresses.The best pop tunes of the last ten years. This had it all.

David Haye vs Enzo Maccarinelli (2008)
The Hayemaker knocked out the Welsh world champion in just two rounds, paving the way for a step up to the heavyweight division.

Romeo and Juliet (2011)
The Royal Ballet defied convention, performing to a stadium crowd instead of an opera house – and they did so with gusto.

The one that never was… 
The king of pop was meant to return to stardom with an extravaganza series of concerts in the heart of London. Tragically, Michael Jackson died just two weeks before the first concert.  

What was your favourite ever? Are there any missing here? Vote in our poll, hit the comments or tweet #o2arena to join the discussion.

Image via ledgr

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