Exclusive: O2 Arena bosses open to hosting another Formula 1 launch event

O2 Arena bosses are open to hosting another Formula 1 launch event if the motor racing series decides to repeat its popular pre-season showpiece.

To celebrate its 75th season, Formula 1 staged a sell-out event at the 20,000-capacity O2 in Greenwich, with all teams showing off their cars alongside music from the likes of Machine Gun Kelly and jokes from Jack Whitehall.

The world’s premier racing series is reportedly looking at Milan for another event in 2027, but O2 Arena owner AEG has said it would jump at the chance to stage it again.

Asked whether they’d be open to hosting the Formula 1 launch event again, AEG International’s senior vice president for sport, Gael Caselli, said: “Definitely.”

He added: “It was an amazing event, honestly. We are having discussions with them. We’ve heard that they’ve been assessing different options – I just don’t know whether that will be in London or in or in a different city [or a different format].

“So it’s the type of relationship we keep with all of our promoters and partners. [We’d] love to have them back and they know it, and I’m sure they’d love to come back. It just has to make sense for them.”

Formula 1 is understood to still be considering whether to run the event again. While the London show was considered a big hit, the logistical challenge is considerable.

The O2 Arena has already had a in sport, hosting the Baller League recently and, earlier in 2026, an NBA regular season match.

Amid talk of London Mayor Sadiq Khan helping the capital’s resident basketball team, the London Lions, find land for a new 15,000-capacity arena – and some ambitious proposals by third parties to build a 25,000-capacity arena in London’s East End – Caselli insisted the O2 Arena would welcome competition, and continue to beat it.

The arena, Caselli stated, is talking about bookings for as far away as May 2031, by which time it could be home to a London NBA Europe franchise.

“Absolutely,” the Frenchman said. “There’s been ongoing conversations with a lot of different parties over the last six months with the NBA. 

“The O2 is and has been the NBA venue in London for the last 20 years and we’re very much looking forward to hosting any future NBA franchise based in London.

“This is an ongoing process [with] lots of moving parts so we’ll just carry on having those background conversations with different parties and see how that plays out.

“But that’s definitely something we’d love to be engaged with in some shape or form because you know, that’s part of the DNA of the venue.”