Greenwich is about to get loud. The O2 Arena winter events programme has been unwrapped, and the coming months will see some of the biggest names in music, comedy and family entertainment roll into the great white dome on the peninsula.
Mariah Carey, Muse and Kasabian lead a bill that stretches from mid-November deep into the festive season, with Culture Club, Pete Tong and The Darkness also on the roster. Families are catered for too: Disney On Ice takes over the arena between Christmas Eve and early January, closing the year on a suitably magical note.
It is one of the venue’s most varied winter schedules in recent years – rock one night, R&B the next, stand-up comedy at the weekend – and it cements the arena’s reputation as the capital’s go-to room when the nights draw in.
Winter at the O2: the key facts
- Where: The O2, Peninsula Square, Greenwich
- Capacity: up to 20,000
- Season: mid-November 2026 to early January 2027
- Headliners: Mariah Carey, Muse, Kasabian, Culture Club, The Darkness, Pete Tong
- Family pick: Disney On Ice: Discover the Magic, 24 December to 3 January
- Getting there: North Greenwich station on the Jubilee line sits right outside the venue
November: rock heavyweights and pop royalty
The winter run opens with American folk-pop star Noah Kahan, who plays four nights from 13 to 17 November with Bella Kay in support. Then the guitars arrive: Muse return for two nights on 15 and 16 November, Good Charlotte team up with Yellowcard on the 19th, and Irish veterans The Script – joined by James Morrison – take the stage on the 21st.
Indie fans are well served. Beabadoobee plays on the 18th, Jungle do a two-night stand on 24 and 25 November, Squeeze share the bill with Billy Bragg on the 26th, and Fontaines D.C. headline on the 27th. Jessie Ware handles the month’s pop offering on the 28th, and there is something for film lovers too: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in Concert, performed with a live orchestra, on the morning of the 29th.
The month’s biggest night, though, belongs to Mariah Carey. The self-styled Queen of Christmas brings her festive show to the dome on 30 November – a date that effectively fires the starting gun on the capital’s Christmas season. Tickets for her show went on sale in late September and demand is expected to be fierce.
Comedy gets a look-in as well, with Bill Bailey bringing his Vaudevillean show to Greenwich on 22 November, while singer-songwriter Myles Smith performs on the 20th.
December: the festive season in full swing
Phoebe Bridgers opens December with back-to-back shows on the 1st and 2nd, followed by UB40 featuring Ali Campbell on the 3rd. R&B fans get Bryson Tiller on the 7th and Kehlani on the 8th, while Ocean Colour Scene – with The Enemy in tow – play the 9th.
Mid-December leans into the party spirit. Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics returns for two nights (11 and 12 December) with the Essential Orchestra, the RnB Winter Ball lands on the 13th, and The Darkness bring their glam-rock pantomime to the arena on the 16th. Comedians Mo Gilligan (10 December) and Greg Davies (17 December) keep the laughs coming.
The pre-Christmas run peaks with two huge British guitar acts: Kasabian, supported by The Vaccines, on 18 December, and Culture Club on the 19th – the last major gig before the venue hands over to Disney On Ice for the holidays.
A big winter for Greenwich
The programme is good news for more than just gig-goers. Tens of thousands of fans will pour through North Greenwich over the season, filling the restaurants, bars and hotels around the peninsula – a welcome boost for local hospitality in what are usually the quietest trading months of the year. The arena complex itself has grown into a destination in its own right, with a cinema, bowling, outlet shopping and the Up at The O2 roof climb keeping daytime visitors busy.
It continues a strong run for the venue, which also hosted the Laver Cup tennis showpiece earlier this autumn, and it sits at the heart of a corner of south-east London that is changing fast – thousands of new homes are on the way at nearby Charlton Riverside.
Planning your visit
Public transport is by far the easiest way in: North Greenwich on the Jubilee line is right outside the venue, with step-free access from platform to door. Drivers should allow extra time – and note that tolls now apply at the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels on routes many will use to reach the peninsula.
Doors, stage times and ticket availability vary from show to show, so check the listing for your specific event before setting off. With the biggest nights expected to sell strongly, booking early is the safest bet.
