O2 Academy Glasgow 3.97

The O2 Academy Glasgow is a music venue on Eglinton Street in the Gorbals area of Glasgow. It holds 2,500 people. It is one of two Academy Music Group venues in Glasgow; the other venue is the O2 ABC Glasgow.It was one of a group of music venues in Britain branded Carling Academy, the best known including the Brixton Academy and the O2 Academy Birmingham. Since November 2008, the venue has been rebranded by network operator O2 to its new name, following a new sponsorship deal with Live Nation.HistoryThe venue is housed in the former New Bedford Cinema which underwent a £3 million refurbishment project to turn it into a 2,500 person music venue. The venue opened on 26 March 2003 with the band Deacon Blue, Singer Bryan Ferry and girl group Sugababes after 10 years of the building being closed and in disrepair.On 6 November 2008, it was announced that Telefónica Europe (owners of the O2 Network in the UK) had become the new sponsor of all Academy venues, in a deal with music promotor Live Nation. The deal, which lasts for five years, sees all venues rebranded "The O2 Academy", in line with Telefónica's purchase of the Millennium Dome (now The O2).