O2 Arena: from millennium flop to top of the pops

Created as celebration of Britain's entry into the new millennium, 'the dome' became an embarrassing smudge on the history of two governments. Devised by the Conservatives under John Major in 1994 and mismanaged under Tony Blair, the Millennium Dome was an international joke.

Ten years ago next week a damning report on the management of the project was published by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. But now the complex is beginning its preparations to host the Olympics - a unbelievable turn around for a project that looked utterly doomed less than a decade ago.

Since the re-branding of the dome as a 'premier music arena' the O2 has risen to the forefront of popular culture, leading the resurgence of live music, particularly with the older demographic, and playing host to some of the biggest acts of the last 50 years.

Click HERE to launch our guide to this remarkable rebirth, and the rise of the 'World's Best Music Venue'.