O2 Arena - any tips?

[MrsWicket]

Never been before and will be taking DDs in a few months time. Will be traveling into Waterloo from south coast. Do concerts finish so late to justify staying in hotel overnight? Eat before we get there? Would be grateful for some tips. Thanks

Hi. Different concerts finish at different times. They usually have the running times on The O2 website so I would check there. Whether or not you get a hotel depends on how late you are willing to travel back and when your train runs.

If you are going to Waterloo I would eat at the O2. They have the usual pizza, pasta and steak house places plus Mexican and sushi etc. Again, all restaurant info is on the website.

Have fun!

Do keep in mind that getting out of the venue can easily take 30 minutes. Last time my DS and I queued for 45 minutes to collect our house keys after a basketball match. Not allowed in with keys in your pockets at basketball! We had been sitting at a corporate box, which have easy access (exit) and still the queues were horrendous. The venue was not even full. So don't cut it too fine to catch your last train

Have visited the o2 recently.

The staff did not take keys (why take this from people in the first place?) but they were removing all bottle tops from bottles of water the last time I was there!. So you can go in with water but not a closed bottle of same!.

It did not take very long at all to leave the venue; it was well organised that particular evening.