The O2 in London has temporarily rebranded itself as The O3 in honour of Drake’s ‘God’s Plan’ song, with the Canadian rapper performing seven shows at the venue in just 11 days.
Drake staged the first of his seven shows at The O2 yesterday (Monday) and will take to the stage again tonight, before further gigs on April 4, 5, 8, 9 and 11.
Drake’s ‘God’s Plan’ single was released last year and spent nine weeks at number one. The song includes the lyrics: “And you know me/Turn The O2 into The O3.”
The O2 announced the name change ahead of yesterday’s gig and has altered its signage to reflect the rebrand, which brings the lyrics to life.
An O2 spokesperson said: “Live music is an unforgettable experience. And when you’re seeing an artist as big as Drake at the world’s number one venue that experience goes up another level. So we thought we’d do something special for Drake and his fans. The O2 has become The O3 for his April residency, making God’s Plan a reality.”
Nathan Kosky, vice-president of global partnerships at The O2, added: “We were delighted to work with O2 to change the name of the venue to The O3, in celebration of Drake’s residency. Big, bold brand statements are symptomatic of our partnership with O2; putting fans at the heart of experiences and ensuring maximum entertainment is what matters most at The O2.”
Following this run of gigs, Drake will join a select group of artists that have performed at The O2 21 times. Other artists to have achieved this feat include Take That and Prince.
O2 has also launched a prize draw for Drake fans who were unable to get tickets for one of the shows. To enter the draw, fans need to take a photo outside The O2 using the #DrakeTheO3 hashtag, stating why they want to be there. The draw runs until 9am tomorrow (Wednesday), with the winner to receive tickets for the April 9 or April 11 gig.
Images: O2
