12 Exciting Things To Do At The O2
This post is part of our archived content. While we’ve shifted focus, it still may be useful.
The O2 is well known as the home of great music and events but what other things can you do there?
We’ve put together a guide of 12 things to do at The O2, especially if you’re with kids.
We were invited to spend the day at the venue and create a list of O2 activities to suit even the most discerning (we mean fussiest) child.
If you’re looking for a guide on O2 things to do, keep reading.
Things to do in The O2 with kids (or without them!):
Make the journey part of the adventure and travel by the Thames Clipper even if the weather is terrible (and it was a little cloudy when we went) the fact you’re on a boat as opposed to a train or car gets the day off to a great start.
The services run to and from most of London’s major piers including Westminster, London Eye, Bankside, Tower, Greenwich and North Greenwich – a five-minute walk to The O2. Tickets from £32.60 when you book online.
Timetabled services run to North Greenwich Pier (a five-minute walk from The O2) every 20 minutes, seven days a week from major central London piers such as Embankment, Westminster and Tower.
Did you know the boats offer an onboard licenced bar?
2. Up at The O2
Kids have to be aged nice or over, at least 1.2m tall and accompanied by an adult (at a 1:1 ratio) and it’s not overly challenging so the kids shouldn’t find it too hard.
Wear comfy clothes and thick socks and after a safety briefing, they’ll provide you with a climb suit, boots and harness for what we like to call urban mountaineering.
You climb to the top of The O2 via a walkway 52m above ground level and on a clear day, you can see up to 15 miles away.
Up at The O2 also hosts seasonal wellbeing sessions including rooftop yoga and HIIT sessions.
Replacing Nissan Innovation Station is a 12-station Immotion VR entertainment zone.
With Thrill Coaster and Undersea Explorer immersive cinema pods, multi-directional motion, 360 HD sound and incredible visual special effects kids can become virtual deep space explorers, deep-sea adventures – pretty much whatever they want to (virtually) be.
There’s also, as well as a new multiplayer VR gaming arena featuring Raw Data – a thrilling first-person sci-fi action game.
The O2 is home to London’s largest cinema with19 screens including a 4DX screen with innovative cinematic technology which uses special effects to create wind, snow, fog, lightning, bubbles, water and scents.
Oxygen Freejumping has 50 linked trampolines, a giant airbag, a dodgeball court, a high rope Airventure course and ‘Little O Toddler’ sessions for younger jumpers.
Check out our guide to the best trampoline parks for kids in London.
Hollywood Bowl has 12 state-of-the-art bowling lanes (pre-book, this place gets busy), including three VIP lanes.
You can eat in at the Hollywood Diner or have a post-bowling game of pool. You can also hire lanes for kids’ bowling birthday parties.
7. ICON Outlet at The O2
Shop a selection of fashion and lifestyle brands (like Adidas, Nike, Ted Baker, Cath Kidston, Hackett, Scotch and Soda, Levi’s, Clarks, ASICS, Jack Wills and Gap) for up to 70% off high street prices.
Throughout the school holidays, there are a host of free visitor benefits including further discounts, personal styling, hair braiding, kids crafts, mindfulness sessions and chill out zones.
8. Eat In One Of The Many, Many On-Site Restaurants
All this activity makes you hungry and one of our favourite places to eat at The O2 is Cabana Brasil for some good old fashioned Brazilian BBQ.
The food is flavourful, generously portioned and the staff aren’t freaked out by boisterous children.
Teens love Five Guys which is pricy but worth it. The fries come with an extra scoop and are epic!
9. Eat Outside
If indoor dining isn’t your thing, try a new take on al fresco eating at London In The Sky.
10. Take a Cable Car
Admittedly, it’s more of a touristy thing to do (unless you live near Royal Victoria Docks or Greenwich Peninsula) but the 20-minute ride will give you great views of Canary Wharf, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, The O2, the Thames Barrier, Maritime Greenwich and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Games on offer include crazier golf, shuffleboard, and digital darts.
Adults can play beer pong, and enjoy yummy street food, exquisite cocktails and craft beers.
12. Activate
Activate is perfect for gamers and lovers of competitive socialising.
You can jump, climb, and problem-solve in 12 real-time interactive game rooms playing nine games including Strike, Portals, Control, Press, Hide, Laser, Grid, Mega Grid and Hoops.
Each competitive activity takes around 1-3 minutes to complete, and each member of a group – groups can be between two and five people – is given an electronic wristband that tracks their progress so they can rack up points, advance through the levels, win a range of prizes gear, and also take part in the Activate World Championship.
The minimum age to participate in Activate is 6 years old.
Activate games are designed for adults and may be challenging for children under 10 years.
Enjoy your day out!