Belfast's Odyssey Arena to Become The O2 Belfast in Landmark 10-Year Deal
Belfast's iconic waterfront entertainment venue, the Odyssey, is to be rebranded as 'The O2 Belfast' following a landmark 10-year naming rights agreement between The Odyssey Trust and O2, confirmed on 14 April 2026 — a deal that will see the venue join O2's network of 21 venues across 14 UK cities and marks a significant moment in Belfast's ongoing transformation as a world-class entertainment destination.
The rebranding, which takes effect on 1 July 2026, encompasses the entire Odyssey site, including the 11,200-capacity indoor arena, the W5 science and discovery centre, the W5 LIFE digital learning facility, and Odyssey Place. The deal has been welcomed by Belfast's business and tourism community as a major vote of confidence in the city's entertainment sector.
Background
The Odyssey Complex, which originally opened in 2000, is Northern Ireland's largest indoor entertainment venue and home to the Belfast Giants ice hockey team. The arena has hosted some of the world's biggest musical acts and sporting events over the past quarter century, becoming one of the most recognisable landmarks on Belfast's waterfront and a cornerstone of the city's cultural and entertainment offer. From international pop superstars to major boxing bouts, the Odyssey has been the venue of choice for the biggest events to come to Northern Ireland, drawing audiences from across the island of Ireland and beyond.
The venue sits at the heart of the Titanic Quarter, Belfast's flagship regeneration project, which has transformed a former industrial wasteland into a vibrant mixed-use district that attracts millions of visitors each year. The Titanic Belfast museum, the SSE Arena, and the Odyssey complex are the anchors of this transformation, and the O2 deal is expected to further enhance the quarter's profile as a destination for major events and tourism.
O2, which is owned by Virgin Media O2, has built an extensive network of sponsored venues across the UK, with The O2 in London — formerly the Millennium Dome — being the most famous. The company's venue sponsorship strategy is designed to give its customers exclusive benefits, including priority access to tickets, while also raising the profile of the venues themselves through association with the O2 brand. The Belfast deal is the latest in a series of regional venue partnerships that have extended the O2 network beyond London to cities including Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow.
Key Developments
Under the new partnership, O2 customers will gain exclusive pre-sale access to tickets for all events at The O2 Belfast, 48 hours before general release, starting 1 July 2026. In 2025 alone, over 1.7 million tickets were sold through O2's Priority platform across the UK — a figure that underlines the commercial significance of the partnership for the venue. O2 will also become the title sponsor of the Belfast Giants, marking its first venture into ice sports and its first major sponsorship of a Northern Ireland-based team.
Virgin Media O2 plans to significantly enhance connectivity at the venue by deploying its own fibre network, doubling existing capacity, introducing O2 WiFi, and rolling out 5G coverage for O2 customers within the arena later in the summer. Gareth Griffiths, Director of Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, said the company was excited to "establish a new home in Northern Ireland." Paul McMahon, CEO of The Odyssey Trust, described the partnership as "an exciting chapter that aligns with our ambition to deliver world-class experiences." SSE Airtricity will continue as the official energy partner for the arena.
Why It Matters
The deal is a significant vote of confidence in Belfast's entertainment and tourism sectors, aligning one of the city's premier venues with the international O2 brand alongside The O2 in London, O2 Academy Brixton, and O2 Apollo Manchester. The partnership is expected to help attract larger international tours and exhibitions to the city, as promoters and artists increasingly look to the O2 network when planning UK-wide tours. For Belfast, the rebranding represents more than a change of name — it is a statement that the city has arrived as a major player in the UK's entertainment landscape, capable of competing with the largest venues in London, Manchester, and Birmingham for the biggest acts and events. The enhanced connectivity that O2 will bring to the venue — including 5G coverage and doubled Wi-Fi capacity — will also improve the experience for the hundreds of thousands of people who attend events at the arena each year.
Local Impact
For Belfast and Northern Ireland, the O2 deal is a source of considerable civic pride and commercial optimism. The rebranding of the Odyssey as The O2 Belfast places the city firmly on the map of the UK's premier entertainment venues, and the exclusive ticket pre-sale benefits for O2 customers are expected to drive significant interest in events at the venue from across the island of Ireland. The Belfast Giants, who will now compete as an O2-sponsored team, will benefit from the increased profile and resources that the partnership brings, with the potential to attract new fans and sponsors to the sport of ice hockey in Northern Ireland. Local businesses in the Titanic Quarter and the surrounding area are also expected to benefit from the increased footfall and tourism that the enhanced profile of the venue is likely to generate.
What's Next
The rebrand takes effect on 1 July 2026. SSE Airtricity will continue as the official energy partner for the arena. The first major events under the new O2 Belfast branding are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, with the venue's 2026-27 season expected to feature a strong lineup of international acts and sporting events. Sources: BBC News NI, Belfast Telegraph Entertainment, O2 Priority
