Odyssey
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The Odyssey seen from the M2/M3 | |
| Location | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Owner | Odyssey Trust |
| Operator | SMG |
| Capacity | 7,000[1] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1998/1999 |
| Opened |
2000 (Arena) 2001 (Pavilion) |
| Tenants | |
| Belfast Giants (EIHL) (2000–present) | |
| Website | |
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odysseyarena | |
The Odyssey, which consists of the Odyssey Pavilion and Odyssey Arena is a large sports and entertainment centre situated in Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland, a part of the Belfast Harbour Estate. It was jointly funded by the Millennium Commission, the Laganside Corporation, the DCAL, the Sheridan Group and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. The Arena opened in 2000 with the Pavilion later opening in 2001. The Odyssey is quoted to have cost £120 million on completion. In 2011 The Odyssey Pavilion which was owned by The Sheridan Group went into administration, the building is now under control of KPMG until a new owner is found.
Events
Since opening, the Odyssey Arena has hosted some of the world's best known bands and artists from around the world.
| Date | Event/Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 October 2004 | Avril Lavigne | Bonez Tour |
| 20 November 2006 | Christina Aguilera | Back To Basics Tour |
| 22–23 April 2009, 17–18 October 2009 |
P!nk | Funhouse Tour |
| 31 May 2009, 1 June 2009, 24 November 2009 |
Beyoncé | I Am... World Tour |
| 22 February 2010, 30 October 2010, 1–2 November 2010 |
Lady Gaga | The Monster Ball Tour |
| 11–12 May 2010 | Metallica | World Magnetic Tour |
| 25 October 2011 | Britney Spears | The Femme Fatale Tour |
| 23–25 January 2012 | Snow Patrol | Fallen Empires Tour |
| 13 June 2012 | Blink-182 | 20th Aniversary Tour |
| 7–11 March 2013 | One Direction | Take Me Home Tour (One Direction) |
| 13–14 March 2013 | Girls Aloud | Ten - The Hits Tour 2013 |
| 14 May 2013 | Meat Loaf | Last At Bat Tour 2013 |
| 17 May 2013 | The Big Reunion Tour | Featuring 5IVE, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Liberty X, 911, Honeyz |
| 21 May 2013 | Alicia Keys | Set the World on Fire Tour |
| 10 June 2013 | The Who | QUADROPHENIA Tour 2013 |
| 2 October 2013 | Bruno Mars | The Moonshine Jungle Tour |
| 15 October 2013 | Jessie J | Opening of J's Nice To Meet You Tour, her first UK arena tour; |
| 7 November 2013 | Depeche Mode | The Delta Machine Tour |
| 12 December 2013 | Black Sabbath | Black Sabbath Reunion Tour |
| 18 December 2013 | Calvin Harris & Tiesto | Greater Than Tour |
| 6 February 2014 | Hardwell | I AM HARDWELL |
| 7–8 May 2014 | Katy Perry | Opening nights of the Prismatic World Tour |
| 19 May 2014 | Miley Cyrus | Bangerz Tour |
| 9 June 2014 | Little Mix | The Salute Tour |
| 9 November 2014 | Kylie Minogue | Kiss Me Once Tour |
| 21 March 2015 | Usher | The UR Tour |
| 1 April 2015 | Nicki Minaj | The Pinkprint Tour |
| 7/8 April 2015 | Olly Murs | Never Been Better tour |
World champion boxer Carl Frampton has fought at the Odyssey 5 times. The venue has also hosted a number of World Wrestling Entertainment live events including RAW and SmackDown!. WWE visits the Odyssey at least once a year. It hosted UFC 72: Victory on 16 June 2007.
Since 2008, it has played host to the Premier League Darts:
| Year | Week | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Week 13 | Thursday April 24 |
| 2009 | Week 4 | Thursday February 26 |
| 2010 | Week 3 | Thursday February 25 |
| 2011 | Week 3 | Thursday February 24 |
| 2012 | Week 3 | Thursday February 23 |
| 2013 | Week 1 | Thursday February 7 |
| 2014 | Week 3 | Thursday February 20 |
As well as these high-profile sporting events, the Odyssey Arena has also hosted concerts by some of the best-selling music artists in the world and it's also home of the Belfast Giants.
Janet Jackson was scheduled to perform during her All for You Tour on 14 December 2001, but the show was cancelled, due to the 11 September 2001 attacks.
Cher on 9 May 2004 during her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.
On 2 October 2010, the Boston Bruins faced the Belfast Giants Selects in an NHL Challenge match.
The Odyssey was short-listed for 'International Large Venue of the Year' (Outside of North America) in the 2005 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards, making it one of the top six major concert venues in the world.[2][3]
The complex features:
- The Odyssey Arena – Northern Ireland's biggest indoor arena, with a capacity of 10,000+ for concerts,[4] hosts concerts and sporting events such as Belfast Giants games.
- W5 – stands for "Who, What, Where, When, Why". W5 is an award winning science exhibition centre demonstrating the powers of science.
- The Odyssey Pavilion – contains bars: Rockies Sports Bar, Chic Shed Bar. Restaurants: Soda Joes, Pizza Hut, Indian Ocean, The Streat, Red Panda. Nightclubs: Box Nightclub, Beach Club. The Odyssey Bowl and Odyssey Cinemas (formerly Storm cinema, Vue) 12–screen multiplex.
- A Sheridan IMAX operated in the complex from 2000 until 2007, with its former location remaining vacant as of 2013.
In October 2009, The Odyssey Trust sought planning permission for a £100 m extension plan. The plans include 800 residential units, two hotels, a promenade, shops, additional leisure facilities and a multi-storey car park.[5] As to date no work has been carried out on the extension plan.
On 2 March 2011, MTV announced it would be hosting its annual European Music Awards in The Odyssey Arena. The event took place on Sunday 6 November. It was the first time the event had been hosted in Northern Ireland, and Belfast was the smallest host city in the EMA's history. Artists such as Lady GaGa, Queen and Selena Gomez, who also hosted the event, performed. There were appearances by Bar Refaeli and Irina Shayk, Amy Lee, Hayden Panettiere, Katy Perry and many more. It was also named MTV'S most successful EMA awards show.
On 29 November 2013, the owners of the Odyssey won planning permission for an extension to include hotels, shops and apartments creating around 1,000 new job's. Work is due to start immediately, with around 800 people set to work on construction of the scheme – described as the biggest redevelopment in Belfast in years. Odyssey Trust's plan is to build next to the existing Odyssey Arena and Pavilion as part of the restart of the Belfast masterplan.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Odyssey Arena, Belfast. |
External links
Coordinates: 54°36′15″N 5°54′54″W / 54.60417°N 5.91500°W
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