Drivers heading to The O2 in North Greenwich need to choose the correct car park before they arrive. The venue has around 2,500 spaces across four car parks, but Car Park 1 is used for arena and indigo at The O2 event parking, while Car Parks 2, 3 and 4 are for shopping, restaurants, Cineworld, Up at The O2 and other non-event visits.
For a standard car, current event parking costs £29.39 on the early-bird tariff, £35.28 at the normal pre-booked rate or £40 if paying on the day and spaces remain. Non-event parking starts at £7 for up to two hours. Drivers also need to consider ULEZ and, depending on their route, the Blackwall or Silvertown Tunnel charge.
London Construction Magazine photographed the parking areas, access roads and vehicle signage around The O2 on September 2026. Parking tariffs and operating rules below have been checked against current information published by The O2 and Transport for London.
Car Park 3 at The O2, North Greenwich, photographed on September 2026, with official parking signage and The O2 arena visible in the background. Photo: London Construction Magazine.
Which Car Park Should You Use at The O2?
The basic rule is straightforward: Car Park 1 is for arena and indigo at The O2 events. Car Parks 2, 3 and 4 are the non-event car parks. The O2 confirms the distinction in its current official parking information. The postcode for The O2 is SE10 0DX. Drivers should still follow the venue's car-park signs once they reach the Greenwich Peninsula rather than relying exclusively on the final instruction from a sat-nav.
| Visit | Where to park | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| The O2 arena event | Car Park 1 | Pre-book recommended |
| indigo at The O2 event | Car Park 1 | Pre-book recommended |
| Outlet Shopping / restaurants | Car Parks 2, 3 or 4 | No pre-booking needed |
| Cineworld | Car Parks 2 or 3 for cinema validation | No pre-booking needed |
| Up at The O2 / other non-event visit | Car Parks 2, 3 or 4 | Hourly tariff |
How Much Is Event Parking at The O2?
Car Park 1 uses a flat event tariff rather than the hourly charges applied to the non-event car parks. The current prices published by The O2 are:
| Parking type | Pre-booked | Pay on the day |
|---|---|---|
| Standard car – early bird | £29.39 | N/A |
| Standard car | £35.28 | £40 |
| Valet | £75 | £85 |
| Minibus / coach | £59.35 | £65 |
| Disabled access event parking | £22.97 | Check availability |
The early-bird price is available until three weeks before the arena event. If event parking has not sold out, a limited number of spaces can be bought on the day on a first-come, first-served basis. There is one small difference in the venue's current published booking wording worth knowing. The main parking page says pre-booked parking closes 24 hours before an event, while the tariff section says parking can be pre-booked until midnight the day before. The safest option is therefore not to leave the booking until the final day.
The O2's parking and transport help page says an event booking is normally valid from 10:00 on the event day until 10:00 the following morning, or earlier where an event itself starts before 10:00. This means an event ticket holder does not need to rush out of Car Park 1 immediately after the show purely because the parking booking is about to expire. LCM's Laver Cup London 2026 visitor guide also found that The O2 advises event visitors to allow additional time when driving into and out of the Greenwich Peninsula.
Parking at The O2, North Greenwich, photographed on September 2026, showing vehicle spaces, access routes and surrounding Greenwich Peninsula development. Photo: London Construction Magazine.
Non-Event Parking Prices at The O2
Visitors who are not attending an arena or indigo event should use Car Parks 2, 3 or 4. These car parks use duration-based tariffs rather than the event price.
| Parking duration | Current car tariff |
|---|---|
| 0–2 hours | £7 |
| 2–4 hours | £11 |
| 4–6 hours | £15 |
| 6–9 hours | £17 |
| 9–12 hours | £18 |
| 12–14 hours | £22 |
| 14–18 hours | £28 |
| 18–24 hours | £52 |
Outlet Shopping customers who spend at least £35 can currently receive four hours of free parking in Car Parks 2, 3 or 4. Same-day qualifying retail receipts must be presented at the Welcome Desk or Parking Office before leaving. Cineworld customers can receive four hours of free parking in Car Parks 2 and 3. The O2 says the four-hour period starts when the car enters the car park; after the film, visitors should take the unpaid parking ticket and cinema stub to the parking office for validation. The O2's July 2026 help information says its car parks are open 24 hours a day throughout the year. A parking ticket cannot be reused for re-entry once the vehicle has left.
The North Greenwich Station Car Park Is Separate
One distinction is easy to miss when searching for parking around The O2. There is also a car park beside North Greenwich station, but The O2 states that this is a separate car park operated by Saba Parking on behalf of TfL. It is not owned or managed by The O2. The venue says its own car parks use barriers and issue parking tickets, while the station car park operates using automatic number plate recognition and has no entry or exit barriers. An O2 parking promotion or Cineworld validation therefore should not be assumed to apply to the station car park.
Driving to The O2: Postcode and Main Approach
The official postcode is SE10 0DX. The venue sits on the Greenwich Peninsula beside the A102, with access through the local road network around Millennium Way. The O2's official car park map shows Car Parks 1–4, the separate station car park, North Greenwich station, the private-hire collection point and the principal vehicle approaches. Drivers arriving from the A2 and south-east London can approach the peninsula on the south side of the Thames without using a river tunnel. Drivers approaching from north or east London may be routed through either the Blackwall Tunnel or Silvertown Tunnel, depending on their starting point and live traffic conditions.
ULEZ, Congestion Charge and Tunnel Charges
Parking is not the only possible cost. Transport for London operates several different road-user charging schemes, and they should not be confused with each other.
| Charge | Does it affect a trip to The O2? | Current car charge |
|---|---|---|
| ULEZ | Yes, if the vehicle does not meet ULEZ standards | £12.50 per charging day |
| Congestion Charge | Not for The O2 itself; only if the route enters the central charging zone | £18 if applicable and paid on time |
| Blackwall / Silvertown Tunnel | Yes, only if the journey crosses either tunnel during charging hours | £1.55 off-peak with Auto Pay; £4.20 peak or £4.20 without Auto Pay |
TfL's ULEZ guidance confirms that the zone covers all London boroughs and operates 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Cars that do not meet the required emissions standard currently pay £12.50 for each charging day in which they are driven within the zone. The O2 is not inside the central London Congestion Charge zone. Driving to North Greenwich therefore does not by itself trigger the Congestion Charge, although a driver who chooses a route through central London's charging area may still become liable. TfL's Congestion Charge zone checker should be used where a route passes through central London.
The position is different for the two nearby river crossings. Blackwall Tunnel and Silvertown Tunnel are both charged between 06:00 and 22:00, seven days a week. From 21 September 2026, a car or small van registered for TfL Auto Pay costs £1.55 per off-peak crossing or £4.20 during the weekday peak periods. Without Auto Pay, the car and small-van charge is £4.20 throughout the chargeable period. LCM's Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charge guide explains the September 2026 increase, peak-direction rules, discounts and exemptions in more detail. TfL's current Silvertown Tunnel information confirms that a charge applies each time a vehicle crosses either tunnel during charging hours.
Blue Badge Parking and Free Drop-Off
Blue Badge spaces are available in all four O2 car parks. For an arena event, The O2 currently charges £22.97 for disabled access parking and recommends pre-booking because spaces are limited. The Blue Badge holder must be travelling in the vehicle. The official O2 accessibility parking page also confirms that the public car drop-off point is in Car Park 1. It is clearly signposted and approximately 500 metres from the main entrance. The normal public drop-off and pick-up area in Car Park 1 is free. It should not be confused with leaving a vehicle parked in Car Park 1 for the duration of an event.
Can You Charge an Electric Car at The O2?
Yes. The O2 says it has several electric-car charging points connected to the BP Pulse network. The venue's parking page does not publish a guaranteed live charger count or availability, so an EV driver who depends on charging should check the BP Pulse network before travelling rather than assuming a charger will be free on arrival. ULEZ and the tunnel charge are separate schemes. An electric car does not pay ULEZ, but electric vehicles are not automatically exempt from Blackwall or Silvertown Tunnel charges unless the vehicle or driver qualifies for a separate TfL exemption or discount.
Parking payment machines at The O2, North Greenwich, photographed on September 2026. Photo: London Construction Magazine.
Leaving The O2 After an Arena Event
The difficult part of driving to The O2 can be leaving rather than arriving. The venue says that on an event day up to 2,000 cars can attempt to leave at the same time, alongside buses, taxis and private-hire vehicles using a limited road network. The O2 is also currently warning drivers that major roadworks in the surrounding area are affecting traffic flow and that long delays can occur at peak times, particularly after events. That warning is temporary rather than a permanent parking rule, so drivers should check the venue's parking page again on the day of travel.
For visitors deciding whether to drive or use public transport, LCM's London weekend transport coverage shows why the complete journey should be checked rather than assuming either road or rail will operate normally during major events and engineering weekends. If a parking machine appears to be applying the wrong tariff, The O2 advises visitors to speak to the parking office before paying. Its current help page says the office in Car Park 1 is open 24 hours a day and notes that a refund may not always be possible after a tariff has already been paid.
The parking prices in this guide were checked against The O2's published tariffs on 26 September 2026. The next material changes for drivers will be any revision to The O2's parking tariffs or TfL's road-user charges; London Construction Magazine will update the guide when those published costs or operating rules change.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus Founder & Editor, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |