Pollstar figures reveal that The O2 sold 2,349,252 tickets last year, more than1m ahead of the MEN Arena and beating its own previous record of 1,806,447 tickets by 30%.

The result came despite the cancellation of Michael Jackson's run of shows, scheduled to start last summer at the O2. Musical highlights at The O2 in 2009 included five nights of Tina Turner, seven from Beyonce and an eight-night residency from Britney Spears.

David Campbell, president and chief executive of O2 ...