Inside the Millennium Dome Exhibition (2000)

In January 2000, while studying neuroscience at UCL, I visited the newly opened Millennium Dome with my girlfriend (now my wife). At the time, the media portrayed the exhibition as an expensive failure. Yet we approached it with curiosity rather than scepticism, and were both wowed by what was inside the Millennium Dome.

This post offers a nostalgic look back at our visit, through photos I took that day, capturing a significant moment in British history for those who remember it and also anyone curious about what it was like.

What Was the Millennium Dome?

For many Gen Z readers, the Millennium Dome may be something they’ve not heard of. But for those born before the mid-1990s, it was the UK’s flagship project celebrating the year 2000.

Why was the Millennium Dome built? Erected on the Greenwich Peninsula in London, the McAlpine/Laing Joint Venture built the Millennium Dome (engineered by Buro Happold and designed by Richard Rogers) to house the Millennium Experience—a year-long national exhibition exploring who we were in 2000 and also who we might become.

Moreover, the project reflected the political mood of the time. Under Prime Minister Tony Blair, New Labour promoted “Cool Britannia“—an attempt to present Britain as a modern, creative, and forward-looking nation.

However, the Millennium Dome exhibition struggled to resonate with the public, attracting intense scrutiny over its cost and purpose. Despite this, more than six million people visited during its one-year run.

Why the Millennium Dome Still Matters Today

Twenty-five years later, the Millennium Dome remains one of the most controversial cultural projects in modern British history.

At the time, the press mocked and criticised it heavily. Yet the Millennium Dome exhibition was also a bold attempt to capture how Britain saw itself at the turn of the 21st century—its identity, ambition, and hopes for the future.

Today, the Millennium Dome is now known as The O₂ Arena: a world-class entertainment venue.

Looking back, however, the exhibition feels less like a failure and more like a unique snapshot of national optimism in 2000.

First Impressions

We visited on 14 January, travelling from Kentish Town to North Greenwich.

But as we approached the Dome, dark clouds hung over the vast white canopy—a stark contrast that, in hindsight, foreshadowed the controversy that followed.

What struck us most, however, was the building’s futuristic design. It looked more like a spacecraft than a building.

Only later did I realise how deliberately the Millennium Dome architecture embodied the idea of time:

• 365 metres in diameter—one for each day of the year
• 52 metres high—the weeks
• 12 yellow support masts—the months

Even before stepping inside the Millennium Dome, it was already telling a story about the past, present, and future.

What It Was Like Inside the Millennium Dome?

Once inside, the Millennium Dome interior felt vast and theatrical. Around the circular perimeter stood the exhibits—some playful, some strange, and all unlike anything visitors had seen before.

What surprised us most, however, was how quiet it felt. For a “Great Exhibition” intended to bring the country together, the space seemed oddly calm.

In hindsight, this makes sense given what critics were saying about the project. For example, some argued that the Millennium Dome exhibition presented a narrow view of British identity, which may have alienated parts of the public.

Despite the low turnout, the atmosphere inside the Millennium Dome felt welcoming. Staff greeted us warmly—sometimes wearing humorous costumes—while performers floated overhead, suspended from giant Earth-patterned balloons.

The Millennium Experience and Its Zones

The Millennium Experience organised fourteen exhibition zones around three broad themes. For example:

• Who We Are—Body, Faith, Mind, Self-Portrait
• What We Do—Work, Learning, Rest, Play, Talk, Money, Journey
• Where We Live—Shared Ground, Living Island, Home Planet

Inside the Millennium Dome Exhibition: “Who We Are”

The “Who We Are” theme explored British identity in 2000.

Body Zone: Perhaps the most memorable exhibit inside the Millennium Dome—a giant walk-through anatomical structure shaped like two reclining figures. Covered in 80,000 shimmering tiles, it invited visitors to explore the human body from inside.

Mind Zone: Interactive exhibits explored intelligence, perception, illusion, language, and human potential (i.e., how the brain works and plays tricks on us). Despite my occupation, I ironically took no photos here.

Faith Zone: Illuminated pillars represented major life stages—Birth, Initiation, Family, Alive & Wonder, Learning, Death, Awakening, Marriage, and Community—through the lens of nine world religions. The atmosphere here was quieter than elsewhere, inviting contemplation.

Self-Portrait Zone: This space captured Britain’s identity in 2000. More than 400 images—from the Brown Betty teapot to the Union Jack—rotated around a huge glowing drum. I liked most the grotesque sculptures by political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, satirising racism, football hooliganism, and media obsession.

Inside the Millennium Dome Exhibition: “What We Do”

The “What We Do” theme explored everyday life in Britain in 2000.

Work Zone: Interactive exhibits promoted skills needed for future success in the modern workplace (e.g., communication, numeracy, problem-solving, teamwork, IT, and hand-eye coordination).

Learning Zone: Celebrated the importance of lifelong learning for future success, emphasising adaptability in a changing job market.

Rest Zone: Soft lighting and ambient sounds encouraged visitors to slow down and relax. Its centrepiece, “Longplayer“, was a musical composition designed to play continuously for 1,000 years. Today, in an always-connected world, it feels ahead of its time.

Play Zone: From sports and music to hobbies and games, this exhibit emphasised recreation for supporting wellbeing—something that feels especially relevant in today’s screen-dominated world.

Talk Zone: Showcased communication from smoke signals to the internet, alongside futuristic technologies, hinting at how we might share information in the future.

Money Zone: Visitors could “spend” a virtual fortune in 60 seconds. But the most striking display was a real £1 million in £50 notes, locked behind glass, stressing society’s fascination with spending.

Journey Zone: This architecturally daring exhibit explored the past and future of transport—from high-speed trains to space travel.

Inside the Millennium Dome Exhibition: “Where We Live”

The “Where We Live” theme explored the planet we call home in 2000.

Shared Ground: Made from recycled cardboard, this exhibit highlighted community spirit and a sense of shared responsibility. Visitors could also record messages for a time capsule, though later redevelopment damaged it.

Living Island: A whimsical recreation of a British seaside resort—with sand, pebbles, cliffs, and saucy postcards—combined nostalgia with environmental messages about coastal protection.

Home Planet: Guided by the animated aliens Gaia and Max, visitors embarked on a journey through inner and outer space to explore our place in the universe.

Other Attractions Inside the Millennium Dome Exhibition

Alongside the main zones, the Millennium Dome exhibition hosted several major attractions. Such as:

• Timekeepers of the Millennium—a playful exploration of time, hosted by alien guides Coggs and Sprinx.
• The Millennium Show—a spectacular aerial performance telling a Romeo & Juliet-inspired love story, set to music by musician Peter Gabriel.
• Our Town Stage—a nationwide project bringing together local communities for grassroots performances.
• Skyscape—a cinema by day and a concert venue by night—hinted at what the Millennium Dome is now known as (e.g., The O₂ Arena).

Why the Millennium Dome Was Controversial

Despite its ambition, the Millennium Dome exhibition quickly became one of the most criticised public projects in modern Britain.

Critics argued it was too expensive, too political, and too London-centric. Attendance fell short of expectations, and some exhibits struggled to represent complex ideas such as identity and religion.

In fact, the Millennium Dome tried to create a shared national narrative—but Britain’s cultural diversity made that difficult.

What Happened to the Millennium Dome?

The Millennium Dome exhibition closed on 31 December 2000.

However, after several uncertain years, developers repurposed the structure we now know as The O₂ Arena, which opened in 2007.

Today, it is one of the world’s leading entertainment venues—yet it still sits beneath the same iconic roof as the Millennium Dome exhibition.

Looking Back

Standing inside the Millennium Dome that January afternoon, it was impossible to know the structure would endure as a repurposed icon, evolving with the country it once sought to define.

For a moment, though, the project captured something remarkable: a country imagining its future at the start of a new millennium.

The Millennium Dome exhibition may not have achieved everything it promised, but it remains a powerful reminder of the optimism—and uncertainty—of the year 2000.

Thanks for looking.

If this post brings back memories or sparks your curiosity, feel free to leave a comment below—I’d love to hear what the Millennium Dome exhibition meant to you.