Ariana Grande's O2 London residency begins: 7 things you need to know
A gig with more rules than most
Ariana Grande’s run of shows at The O2 begins on 15th August and runs until the beginning of September.
It’s a major mini residency for a singer who, well, may not be seen back on stage performing in London for some time after this. She’s taking a break from the spotlight as soon as her schedule allows.
Have a ticket for an Ariana Grande The O2 show or hoping to get one? Here’ what you need to know before you head out.
1. Queueing starts at 10am
This one is a heads-up for the mega fans out there. You’ll only be allowed to queue for admission from 10am — which is 8.5 hours from the opening of doors at the venue at 6:30pm. There’s really no need to get there anywhere near that early if you have an allocated seat, short of wanting to soak up the pure vibes, though.
2. Bags have to be tiny and made of clear plastic
Sure to trip up a few concert-goers, there’s a very strict bag policy for these shows. They can only measure 30 x 15 x 30cm, and must be clear plastic. That typical rule of an A4-size rucksack doesn’t cut it here, and it’s not hard to understand why when the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 took place at one of her concerts.
3. The support act (there isn’t one)
Wondering who will be out to support Ariana Grande this time? There is no support act at all, further reducing the need to get there super-early. But the show itself is a multi-act extravaganza.
4. Stage Times: Ariana is expected on stage at 8:10pm
Doors for the Ariana Grande: The O2 gigs are at 6:30pm, with then a roughly 90-minute empty interlude until she’s expected on stage between 8pm and 8:10pm.
The show should be finished by 10pm. You can expect healthy queues for the tube station if you stay to the very end.
5. Last-minute tickets
These Ariana Grande shows are unfortunately in high enough demand that you are not going to be able to snag a bargain last-minute ticket. All the shows are sold out, and we have not found a single great deal at resale.
That doesn’t mean it’s too late to get a ticket, though. Ticketmaster will occasionally have resale tickets available, although you will need to regularly check as these will drop as and when they are available.
There are also tickets available from platforms like Stubhub and Viagogo, although you can expect to pay a solid premium from those. We’ve seen none listed on Ticketswap based on our searching, and just the tiniest smattering of tickets on Twickets — sign up for ticket alert updates if you want a heads up on when more appear.
Website Stereoboard can be a useful site for getting a ticket resale overview, with cost estimates.
6. You can bring a water bottle (up to 500ml)
Food and drink within The O2 costs a small fortune. But you can bring in your own water bottle.
No, don’t pack one of those massive Stanley cups as we can’t imagine them passing through security. You can take in empty plastic or “collapsible” water bottles of capacity up to 500ml.
These can then be filled with water, for free, at any of the bars. Or at the venue’s water filling stations found, according to The O2’s website, here:
- Ground Floor: Towards the back under each tunnel
- Level 1: Outside block 101 and 112
- Level 4: Outside block 405 and 417
7. Don’t bring a sign or banner, or a camera
While the kids might want to bring a “we love you Ariana” banner, in the hopes of being seen on a video screen, the venue rules explicitly bar taking in such items.
Cameras and “recording devices” aren’t allowed in either. This isn’t a phone-free gig, so you can expect to see a sea of folks recording Grande’s performance, but leave standalone cameras at home to avoid tears and arguments at the security checkpoint.
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