O2 advice please (the arena not the phones!)

[clare8allthepies]

I’m taking my girls (11 and 14) to the O2 for a concert in two weeks time. I’ve never been and I don’t know anyone who has so I would be grateful for any help, I have 3 questions.

1- they sent me an email with info about all of the lovely looking restaurants at the venue. Is it feasible to try and eat at one of these before the event or will everywhere be rammed with queues coming out of the door?

2- temperature! It will obviously be cold outside as it’s January but I don’t know whether it will be freezing inside as it’s a huge place or boiling as there will be thousands of people inside.

3- transport back afterwards, I saw that there is a boat that you can get afterwards to either London Bridge or Waterloo and I think that would be fun but if the wait for it is likely to be awful them we will just go for the tube instead.

Thanks!

You can book a lot of the restaurants! The list here will tell you if you have to phone or if you're able to do it online Bars and Restaurants | The O2

I always find the temperature pretty pleasant, wear layers that you're able to take off as the main entrance bit where the shops and restaurants are can get cold.

I've not tried the boat! The queue for the tube is very long but moves quickly, and there are ushers organising it.

Thank you, that’s all really helpful. I can’t believe that it didn’t occur to me to book a restaurant in advance! 🤦🏽‍♀️

02 is pretty warm and if you get there early for food can be okay, we often eat a stop or 2 before.

if getting the train home don’t join the main queue to the station walk to the left and you can enter the back of the station which is much quicker.

They are rammed but super fast turnaround, and yes you can book some.

I've been all seasons and would have coat, hoodie, t-shirt for this weather, it can get warm depending on your seating location and if you are dancing!!

I've never done the boat, always the tube, which is busy after any concert but very fun and buzzy, as everyone's happy or drunk. And it's all manned and safe.

Have fun.

I booked the slug and lettuce. They had a special concert menu for those going.
My other trick is to book somewhere at canary wharf as less busy and 1 tube stop away. Tube queue moves fast to London Bridge on way out. Never worried about the temperature. Don't take a large bag though.

The uber boat is quite easy to get and fun. I would recommend. (I live in Greenwich). You can look the timetable up online.

You generally cannot book the restaurants on concert / event dates . I’d say get there slightly early , eat first before the queues build for the restaurants and then have a wander around the shopping bit before you go in . There are not shops but it kills a few minutes . I would use the tube to get back , there is generally a large organised queue but it moves quite quickly .

We thought we'd do the Canary Trick thing before a concert a couple of years ago and.... so did everyone else 😂

Could not get a booking anywhere.

We also went this summer and they were actually preventing you from doing the 'walk to the left of the tube queue and enter through the rear station doors thing' but we had been seated on the far side of the arena from the exit, queued patiently and we're on a tube 31 minutes after the show ended - the queue does move well.

The boat is much slower than the tube (even with the queue!) so if you're not pushed to catch an onward train, I'd do that, but perhaps only when it's warmer. If you're going to be huddled inside, you may as well get the tube.

Thank you for all the advice, I’ll check with the kids what they want to do but I think I’ll err on the side of caution and get something to eat early on near our hotel

Not many of the resturants take bookings on event nights, but TGI's do.
You can prebook uber taxi boat which is a special after event boat, its an express service, which is nice to see london lit up at night.