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World Mental Health Day: The O2 Donates 1,000 Tickets
The O2 London has pledged to donate tickets to 1,000 local young people, following its own research linking live events to improved mental health ahead of today’s World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10.
Inspired by its charity partner YoungMinds, The O2 examined the link between music and live entertainment and mental health in young people aged 14-25 in the UK (a consumer research company sent a list of 10 questions around mental health and live events to 2,000 young people aged 14 – 25, and the data is a result of that questionnaire, as Pollstar was told upon request).
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A press release sent out by the O2 sums up the results: “In a nation where 52% of young people ‘don’t know’ how to cope with bad mental health, new research has highlighted over 80% of young people agree that music (88%) and live events (83%) have a positive impact [on] their mood and wellbeing.
“Furthering this, a fifth of young people (20%) stated that this positive impact on their mental health is what they enjoy most about attending live events, with over a quarter (27%) citing that their enjoyment comes from the opportunity to forget about everything else they have going on when attending live events.”
Following the publication of these findings, The O2 has announced a new initiative to improve accessibility to live events for local youths in Greenwich, in the south east of London, where the world-famous building is located.
From December 2023 and through 2024, the team of AEG Europe, who operate the building, has pledged to donate over 1,000 arena tickets to young people and their families as part of this initiative, working alongside local charitable youth organization YoungGreenwich.
“The tickets will span a range of event types taking place in The O2 arena over the next year, including music, comedy, and sport,” the press release continues. Already on The O2’s 2024 program are four shows each for The 1975, and Olivia Rodrigo, six shows for Take That, the continuation of Peter’s Kay’s monthly residency, and more.
Research also highlighted that some artists have a more positive impact on the mood and wellbeing of young people than others, with Taylor Swift coming out on top (32%) as having the most positive effects, closely followed by Ed Sheeran (28%). A shared appreciation for artists through dedicated fanbases was also cited as having a positive influence, with nearly two thirds (61%) of young people agreeing that being a part of these online and in-person communities has a positive impact on their mood or wellbeing.
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Adam Pearson, commercial director at The O2, commented, “When we announced YoungMinds as our official charity back in January, we knew that we wanted to use our position as a world-leading venue to drive real impact and change. This research highlights the undeniable link between live events and the positive impact they have on the mental health and wellbeing of young people, which presents us with a unique opportunity to really make a difference within our local community – something which has always been a huge priority for us. Working alongside the fantastic team at YoungGreenwich, we’re excited to be able to provide even more access to the best-in-class events that happen at The O2 arena over the next year.”
Michelle Kerrigan, head of relationship development at YoungMinds, said, “We are delighted to be chosen as the official charity partner of The O2 and welcome this research. We know that listening to music and live event have a hugely positive impact on young people’s mental health and this initiative means that 1,000 young people in Greenwich will have the opportunity to access events that they might otherwise not experience. We look forward to the venue’s continued support and to our future work together supporting young people’s mental health.”
The O2’s commitment to supporting charitable causes and the local community sit under the venue’s wider CSR platform, Good Vibes All Round. Established in 2019, Good Vibes All Round underpins The O2’s work across four key pillars: sustainability, accessibility, charity, and community.
This new ticket pledge is just one of the strides that the venue has taken this year to further its impact under these pillars, following the recent announcement that The O2 will be hosting the world’s first carbon removed events in February next year.
In light of today’s World Mental Health Day, check out more of Pollstar’s coverage on the important topic below:
TPG & Suzi Green Launch Free Workshops On Sustainability, Mental Health & Diversity In Live
‘We Have To Put Physical & Mental Pain On The Same Level’: Talking Health With Lina Ugrinovska
Sound Mind Music Festival For Mental Health Returns To New York With Free Admission
‘The Passion Can Actually Drive You Insane’: Interview With Psychologist Katja Mierke