Shows by One Direction, Beyoncé music to the ears of O2 box office

Sellout shows by One Direction and Beyoncé helped generate a 6% increase in box office receipts — to $43.7m (€32m) — at the O2 in Dublin last year.

Figures released by music industry trade journal Pollstar show that 673,577 music fans paid through the doors of the O2 last year, making it the ninth most popular arena venue in the world.

The numbers represent an 8.5%, or 53,022, increase on the 620,555 that attended concerts at the 14,500-capacity arena in 2012.

However, in spite of the increase in punters going through the doors, the O2 dropped five places from its No 4 position achieved in 2012 in the Pollstar rankings of best-attended arenas in the world.

Some 357,705 music fans attended the Odyssey Arena in Belfast last year.

The O2 in London was the best-attended arena in the world last year, with the numbers passing through its doors increasing by 35% to 2.12m.

The US-based Pollstar figures put the O2 in Dublin comfortably ahead of the likes of New York’s Madison Square Garden and Wembley Arena in London.

Box-office receipts of $43.7m generated at the O2 in Dublin last year followed the $41m generated at the venue in 2012.

The highest grossing series of gigs were staged by crooner Michael Bublé, whose five sellout July shows earned €3.9m at the box office.

The most lucrative gigs at the O2 were staged by Beyoncé and Billy Joel.

Beyoncé’s two sellout shows generated €2.1m and proved a far bigger draw than her husband, Jay Z, who generated €564,960 at the O2 box office in October. Billy Joel’s sole gig in November made €1.1m.

Leonard Cohen, 79, played two shows in November and generated €1.5m. Fleetwood Mac’s two shows in September also generated €1.5m.

Niall Horan and One Direction played four shows in the O2 in March, making €1.4m at the box office.

The figures show that 77 events were staged at the O2 last year.