Greater London Authority

Greater London Authority LONDON, FRIDAY 6TH MARCH 2009: Today Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, officially opened the British Music Experience (BME), a permanent, high-tech, interactive music exhibition within the world’s most popular music venue, The O2.

The Mayor marked the occasion by having a quick turn on a Slingerland drum kit before comme...nting, "As the home of the UK music industry and all the major record labels, London's musical heritage is unrivalled and the British Music Experience rightly pays tribute to this success. From the 1940s to the present day, it encapsulates the excitement and innovation that have made British music a force around the world."

Four years in the making the BME takes over the 22,000 square feet on the top floor of The O2 bubble, The O2’s state of the art exhibition space. A combination of cutting edge audio-visual technology and the most coveted music memorabilia of all time will culminate in the creation of one of Britain’s most compelling attractions. The BME enables visitors to trace musical trends through the decades, learn about music’s influence on art, fashion and politics and allow visitors to download music from the BME archive. For the genuine musical experience members of the public can visit the Gibson Interactive Studio, a fully integrated space within the BME where they can play various Gibson guitars, Baldwin pianos and Slingerland drums.

There is also a full public and educational programme with workshops, lectures, master-classes and concerts. Hundreds of artists feature in the exhibition from The Beatles to Iron Maiden, from Cilla Black to Elastica, from David Bowie to Motorhead with in depth looks at musical genres from Skiffle to Reggae, from Rock n Roll to Blues, from Punk to Urban.
The BME uses RFID technology throughout the exhibition. Traditional tickets are replaced by a Smarticket which will allow visitors to activate the interactive elements of the exhibition and also to register further interest in specific BME features. Visitors can then visit www.britishmusicexperience.com to access free downloads and further information on parts of the exhibition they want to learn more about.