The socio-politics of the hallmark event: The case of the Millennium Dome

Abstract

There has undoubtedly been more written about the Millennium Dome than about any other single visitor attraction in the UK. This paper offers a deconstruction of these texts. It argues that rather than technical or managerial failings, the principal problem facing the Dome has been political: a failure to convince anyone of its relevance to them, or to life in Britain at the start of the 21st Century. In making this claim, the paper argues that the operators of the Dome have failed to grasp that the core product of visitor attractions is not so much the spectacle itself as the opportunity to have a nice day out within multiple spectacular surroundings. This opportunity is increasingly provided by shopping malls, cineplexes and even town centres, where the emphasis has shifted from the single spectacle to many combinations of (often branded) activities happening in multiple times and spaces.