Sign up for IQ Index
The latest industry news to your inbox.
The O2's time as a National Health Service training facility has led to the NHS being named the London's venue's longest resident, beating Prince, Take That and Drake
By IQ on 26 May 2020
The commemorative artwork by Madeleine Floyd
After turning the London venue into a training facility for 44 days, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has been declared the longest residency to date at the O2 Arena.
The record – previously held by the likes of Prince, Take That and comedian Michael McIntyre – is commemorated by a piece of artwork, by illustrator Madeleine Floyd, signed by NHS educational staff stationed at the venue during its time as a ‘Nightingale’ hospital training centre.
The framed artwork is displayed backstage alongside signed photos of the artists, comedians and sports stars who have played the AEG-operated venue, which remains the most-visited in the world.
“It has been a privilege for AEG … to have been able to play our part during these challenging times”
Danielle Kennedy-Clark, the O2’s deputy general manager, says: “We’ve hosted some real heroes during these past few weeks and it has been a privilege for AEG, along with our partner O2, to have been able to play our part during these challenging times. This has been our most important residency to date, and we’re grateful to the team for this special piece of artwork to remind us of such a poignant time.”
The NHS team have now left the O2, as the coronavirus crisis eases in the UK, though all 120 are invited back to climb the Up at the O2 attraction when it reopens in July. The O2 staff recently raised £8,000 in memory of Up at the O2 climb guide Mark Griffiths, who died from Covid-19.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.