Occupying a listed building, the O2 Academy Bournemouth is an attractive former theatre that is among the top places in the town to enjoy live musical performances. Like other gig venues owned by the Academy Music Group, it has a habit of attracting some of the leading performers in the UK, as well as internationally respected acts. In November 2006, the venue was closed for an extensive refurbishment and repair programme that cost a reported £3 million. It reopened in the summer of the following year and was subsequently acquired by its current owners in 2009. The O2 Academy Bournemouth has a 1,800 capacity.

O2 Academy Bournemouth history

Opening for business as a live entertainment centre in 1895, the Academy was originally named the Boscombe Grand Theatre. In the 20th century, the theatre gained a reputation as a music hall and changed its name to the Boscombe Hippodrome. It was converted into a live music venue in the 1960s, when many of the famous acts of that era were touring the UK. For example, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and the Faces all graced its stage. In the 1970s, rock bands such as Slade, Thin Lizzy and Led Zeppelin performed gigs there.

In the early 1980s, the venue was called the Academy Nightclub and then the Opera House, but it still operated as a live venue for gigging musicians. In the years that followed, well-known acts such as Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the Sisters of Mercy and the Brand New Heavies all played there. In addition, jazz and jazz-fusion acts were included in the programme of events, with performers such as Courtney Pine and the James Taylor Quartet being booked.

O2 Academy Bournemouth events

Since the current management team has been running the O2 Academy Bournemouth, there have been many notable events. One of these was the first gig under the new owners, and featured sets from The xx and Florence and the Machine. Singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner played a sold-out show at the venue, which was filmed for one of his promotional videos. More recently, the Academy has hosted gigs by Placebo, Bullet For My Valentine and Wu-Tang Clan, among others.

The venue is located about two kilometres from Bournemouth's main railway station, but it lies on many of the bus routes that connect Bournemouth to Boscombe. There are plenty of bars and a cloakroom where visitors can store small items. Some of the performances have particular age restrictions that apply, but generally speaking, anyone under 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult.

Similar venues to the O2 Academy Bournemouth

To find alternative gigs at StubHub, look at venues such as the Old Fire Station Bournemouth or the Winchester on Poole Hill.