O2 goes classical with pop opera

A performance of "pop opera" Carmina Burana will be the first in a series of classical events at the O2 arena.

Featuring more than 250 performers, light projections and fireworks, the spectacular show will take over the Greenwich venue in January.

Contemporary productions of Carmen, Ben Hur and Aida are also planned for the O2 next year as part of a strategy to broaden its appeal, bringing it into competition with the Royal Albert Hall. Carmina Burana, created by German composer Carl Orff in the Thirties, includes the memorable musical sequence used in the Old Spice adverts of the Seventies.

Franz Abraham's acclaimed production was launched in 1995 and has been seen all over the world. A performance on Copacabana beach in Brazil attracted an audience of 100,000.

The London production will feature the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Brighton Festival Chorus and Youth Choir. Abraham said: "It's a monumental production and visually very interesting - even children enjoy it and we are hoping to attract a family audience."

After initially hoping to bring Carmina Burana to the Royal Festival Hall, Abraham decided on the O2 after experiencing the 20,000-seater arena's acoustics.

He said: "I was one of the lucky people who attended the Led Zeppelin concert and even though I was at one side of the arena, the sound was fantastic. It is a big arena to fill but we have designed this production for open-air venues or larger arenas with inferior acoustics so I am not worried. I also know there are many people in London who are not rock or pop fans and are waiting for a chance like this to come to this wonderful arena."

David Campbell, chief executive of AEG Europe, owners of The O2, said Carmina Burana would "knock the senses".