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The O2 hopes to reopen on Friday following roof damage in Storm Eunice
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 21 February 2022
The O2 complex in London has confirmed that it will be closed until the end of this week after the venue’s roof was damaged during Storm Eunice, which hit the capital on Friday.
Several sections of the dome that covers the AEG-operated O2 were shredded by the strong winds that occurred during last week’s storm. Images of the dramatically damaged roof quickly circulated on social media leading to speculation that the venue might have to close its doors for weeks or even months while the dome was repaired.
However, the venue’s management seem hopeful it will only take days to re-open the complex, even if the actual repairs take longer. Even that will, of course, result in some cancellations, including the shows Dave was due to play in the O2 Arena tonight and tomorrow.
A statement on the venue’s social media yesterday said: “The last few days have been a huge challenge at The O2 and we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to AEG Europe and The O2 staff who have been working tirelessly through the weekend to secure the site and get us ready to reopen later this week. We would also like to thank the suppliers and contractors who have supported us in making the venue safe”.
“The outpouring of support from the industry, friends and colleagues has been humbling”, it added. “We are so proud to be the world’s most popular entertainment venue and we look forward to reopening our doors and providing a safe and secure best in class experience again very soon”.
As for this week’s closure, another statement on The O2 website reads: “The O2 prides itself on being a venue full of entertainment but following Friday’s storm, we’re not quite looking our best. We want to continue to provide a safe and secure best-in-class experience for our visitors, so we have made the decision to remain closed until Friday 25 Feb to give us time to carry out some necessary works on our roof”.
Simply Red shows that had been due to take place at the O2 Arena this weekend had already been postponed into March because band and crew members had contracted COVID-19. New dates for the Dave shows should be announced in the next day or so.
