Kylie seals Dome's glory as most popular venue

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Sound success: Kylie Minogue will play six nights at the O2 in July and August

Main attraction: The Spice Girls made their return with a long stint this month

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• O2 arena to become most popular world venue

More than two million people will visit the O2 arena this year to see a roll-call of international artists including Kylie Minogue and Celine Dion.

The south-east London venue, which opened in June, has become the most popular in the world, overtaking New York's Madison Square Garden, which is expected to sell only 1.1 million tickets this year.

Today, the 20,000-seat arena revealed details of its shows for this year. Minogue and Dion are already booked to appear, as are Alicia Keys, Westlife and Boyzone.

Meanwhile, following the success of Prince's 21-night run of sell-out gigs last summer, negotiations are planned for two more "huge" residencies. Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and U2 are all being sounded out on their availability.

In its previous incarnation as the Millennium Dome, the venue was a national joke. But the reinvented Greenwich complex, run by US entertainment firm AEG, was the success story of last year, hosting Led Zeppelin's comeback and the Spice Girls' first shows in Britain for a decade.

Other events in the complex, such as the blockbuster Tutankhamun exhibition and gigs held at the smaller venue IndigO2, have also proved popular.

As well as major music acts, the O2 will host live spin-offs from hit TV shows TheXFactor and Strictly Come Dancing and sports events such as WWE wrestling, supercross and NBA basketball.

Following Monday night's televised concert with Take That and the Sugababes, the O2 is already looking to line up another big name for next New Year's Eve.

David Campbell, chief executive of AEG Europe, said: "We have got off to a great start and have quickly established ourselves as the world's highest-grossing music venue.

"It's been proven that world-class acts in a world-class venue sell tickets and we are delighted. People like to come to the O2 and artists like to play here."

He said the venue's success was part of a "shift" towards east London as the capital's new heartland.

WHO'S APPEARING

3-22 Jan: The Spice Girls
28 Jan: Linkin Park
13-15 Feb: Strictly Come Dancing Live!
16 Feb: Smashing Pumpkins
28 Feb: Shockwaves NME Tour
29 Feb: Alicia Keys
1-3 March: Westlife
7 March: Rihanna
9 March: X-Factor Live
6,8 May: Celine Dion
10, 11 May: Viva La Diva
14 May: Backstreet Boys
16,17 May: Girls Aloud
21 May: Shayne Ward
30, 31 May: Boyzone
4 June: Avril Lavigne
21, 23 June: Neil Diamond
22 June: Santana
5,6 July: Dolly Parton
26 July-2 August: Kylie Minogue
3-5 October: Lee Evans

 

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