Northern Ireland’s Landmark Millennium Project Becomes The O2 Belfast

The Landmark Millennium Project in Belfast, Northern Ireland, best-known for its 11,200-capacity multi-purpose live events arena – formerly known as the SSE Arena Belfast – has signed a 10-year naming rights deal with Virgin Media O2.

The new name for the entertainment destination located the heart of Belfast’s iconic Titanic Quarter, the main hub for all things live entertainment, sport, education, dining, and leisure in the Northern Irish capital.

The arena is at the heart of it all, host of international concerts, major sporting fixtures and family shows. It is also home to the Belfast Giants, the only professional ice hockey team on the island of Ireland, and one of the most successful clubs in UK ice hockey history.

In addition to live entertainment, The O2 Belfast is home to the award-winning W5 Science and Discovery Centre, providing access to more than 250 hands-on STEM-based exhibits across eight interactive zones.

Adjacent to W5 is W5 LIFE, a state-of-the-art digital learning hub dedicated to addressing the skills requirements of Northern Ireland’s increasingly digital economy.

Now, as The O2 Belfast, the site joins O2’s extensive portfolio of 21 venues across 14 UK cities, which includes iconic locations like The O2 London, O2 Academy Brixton, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, O2 Academy Glasgow, and O2 Apollo Manchester.

Just as with these other buildings, O2 customers receive preferential treatment when it comes to accessing tickets for arena events. What is more, O2 Priority members visiting the venue will be able to access the O2 Blueroom from September – a premium VIP retreat within the arena reserved exclusively through the Priority app.

In addition, Priority members will benefit from 20% discounted entry to W5, “alongside access to exclusive prize draws, special rewards and a range of money-can’t-buy experiences throughout the year,” according to the press release announcing the new 10-year naming rights agreement between The Odyssey Trust, which operates the entertainment complex, and Virgin O2.

The naming rights transition represents the first phase of a broader site-wide transformation, with further developments set to roll out in the months ahead.

Upcoming events at The O2 Belfast include the aforementioned Belfast Giants fixtures, as well as concerts by Megan Moroney, Kevin Bridges, Duran Duran, The Scrip, Westlife, who are bringin their “The Anniversary World Tour – 25 Years of Hits”, and more.

Comments:

Paul McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of The Odyssey Trust, said: “Today is a day we’ve been looking forward to, and it’s wonderful to see The O2 Belfast officially come to life. Since announcing this partnership, the excitement from our audiences, visitors and the wider Belfast community has been incredible – and that energy drives everything we’re doing.

“O2 is a world-renowned brand, and together we’re committed to building on what makes this such a special destination: delivering the best experience every time for all visitors who walk through our doors. We look forward to unveiling further developments as we progress towards a full launch later this year.”

Gareth Griffiths, Director, Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, “O2 can’t wait to welcome music, sports and comedy fans to our new home in Northern Ireland. From Priority Tickets pre-sales, giving unrivalled access to tickets, to our forthcoming new O2 Blueroom and boosted mobile connectivity onsite, we are on a mission to deliver a world-class experience at The O2 Belfast, and this is just the beginning. We’ll see you at a show or a Belfast Giants match soon.”

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