UK’s tallest sculpture Pic: ArcelorMittal Orbit
For spectacular views over Canary Wharf and the Shard, you can now climb 114.5 metres up the twisting red steel structure that towers over Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The ArcelorMittal Orbit will open its doors for only three Friday’s, August 8, 15 and 22, offering a hypnotic view as the sun sets and the city lights up.
Having reopened on April 5 for the general public, this is the first time the ArcelorMittal Orbit will put on nightly events exclusively for adults.
“Until now it has been an enjoyable daily attraction for families and tourists,” said Lorcan McAlindon, Olympic Park events manager.
“Now we want to transform it into a cultural venue that serves different purposes, such as limited parties and nightime events”.
On Friday August 8 the Orbit, which was designed by Sir Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmon for London 2012 Summer Olympics, will host a night of dancing on the two observations decks, of 76m and 80m. Featuring DJs inspired by the theme “Space in this Place”, there will be sets from Ninja Tune’s DJ Food, synth-folk band Transept, acoustic sets from Astronauts and Paddy Steer.
80m high platform Pic: ArcelorMittal Orbit
The second Friday, August 15, sees the UK’s tallest sculpture host a silent disco (by Silent Arena) where the guests will receive headphones from which they can choose the music they want to listen to.
“Revellers can text in requests to the DJ and mix their own playlist. There is going to be a big screen that you can use to pick your tunes and dance freely to your own music,” McAlindon explained.
The final Friday, August 22, is the official launch party for East London Radio. The station will broadcast straight from the summit with live DJ sets and music spanning from retro tracks to today’s dance tunes. More dates may follow later this year.
Food and drinks will be on sale on each night. Space in this Place tickets costs £20. Silent Disco cost £17.50, and East London Radio £17.50.
Tickets are limited and can be booked online by arcelormittalorbit.com by calling 0333 800 8099 or visiting the office at the bottom of the Orbit.
