Excel London

File:ExCeL and docks.jpg

The Centre was designed by Moxley Architects and built by Sir Robert McAlpine. It opened in November 2000.{{Cite web|title=Excel|url=https://www.moxley.co.uk/archives/timeline/excel|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Moxley Architects|language=en-GB}}{{cite web |url=http://www.wes-group.com/news.html |title=News from Worldwide |publisher=Worldwide Exhibition Specialists Ltd. |access-date=11 July 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080315144211/http://www.wes-group.com/news.html |archive-date = 15 March 2008}} In May 2008 it was acquired by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company. Phase II of development, which included building London's first International Convention Centre (ICC) and creating an "eastern arrival experience", was completed on 1 May 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/excel-london-opens-165m-event-space-x-factor-auditions-pictures/1001804|title=Excel London opens £165m event space with X Factor auditions: pictures|website=www.campaignlive.co.uk|date=7 May 2010|access-date=4 January 2024}} Phase 3 is expected to be completed in October 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://exhibitionnews.uk/excel-adds-final-steelwork-to-its-25000sqm-expansion/|title=ExCeL adds final steelwork to 25,000sqm expansion|first=Paul|last=Colston|date=12 December 2023|access-date=4 January 2024}}

In 2015, CentrEd at Excel was opened,{{Cite web|url=http://excel.london/centred|title=CentrEd at ExCeL |website=ExCeL London|access-date=24 May 2016|archive-date=29 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229030202/http://excel.london/centred|url-status=dead}} which expanded the centre's facilities to incorporate training and meeting space near the western entrance of the venue overlooking Royal Victoria Dock.

The Royal Victoria was closed to commercial traffic in 1981, but it is still accessible to shipping. The Centre's waterfront location allows visiting vessels to moor alongside the Centre. An example of this is HMS Sutherland visiting the 2005 London Boat Show.{{Cite web |title=A general view of H.M.S. Sutherland is seen at the Schroders London Boat Show on January 6, 2005 in London. |first1=Bruno |last1=Vincent |url=https://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/news-photo/general-view-of-h-m-s-sutherland-is-seen-at-the-schroders-news-photo/51919688 |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=Getty Images |date=6 January 2005 |language=en-gb}}

The design of the exhibition building consists of two column-free, rectangular, sub-divisible halls of approximately 479,493 sq. ft. (44,546 sq. m.), on either side of a central boulevard containing catering facilities and information points.{{Cite web |title=Excel London floor plan |url=https://expofp.com/excel-london |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=ExpoFP }}{{Cite web |title=Vital statistics - Technical details, floor plans and capacity charts |url=https://www.excel.london/uploads/vital-stats-us_(1).pdf |access-date=27 September 2022 |website=Excel London |archive-date=27 September 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927211433/https://www.excel.london/uploads/vital-stats-us_(1).pdf}} There are also three sets of function rooms, one overlooking the water, another above the western end of the central boulevard, and the third on the north side of the building which are used for smaller meetings, seminars, presentations and corporate hospitality. The property is surrounded by six hotels,{{Cite web |title=Hotels near Excel London {{!}} BCD M&E with HotelMap |url=https://www.excel.london/organiser/visitor-experience/hotels |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=Excel London}} bars and restaurants, and 1,800 parking spaces situated underneath the property with 85 accessible spaces.{{Cite web |title=Driving and parking |url=https://www.excel.london/visitor/getting-here/driving-and-parking |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=Excel London}}

Excel London has hosted numerous consumer and trade, private and public events, including exhibitions, conferences, concerts, weddings and religious events. Among these have been WorldSkills London 2011, the London Boat Show, the British International Motor Show, Grand Designs Live, MCM London Comic Con, the London International Music Show, The Clothes Show London, Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEi) amd the 2009 G-20 London Summit.

In 2012, Excel hosted several events for the Olympics and Paralympics, and has since erected a "legacy wall" featuring the handprints of athletes who won Gold at the venue and the former Mayor of London Boris Johnson.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

In 2014 Excel hosted the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict,{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/sexual-violence-in-conflict|title=Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date=24 May 2016}} chaired by American actress and UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie and attended by 79 ministers from 123 country delegations.

File:Aerial view of ExCeL Exhibition London, July 2015.jpg

From 1 to 8 July 2019, 150 events took place as part of London Climate Action Week 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://exhibitionnews.uk/london-climate-action-week-the-events-industry-gets-involved/|title=London Climate Action Week: the events industry gets involved|first=Martin|last=Fullard|date=1 July 2019|access-date=2 July 2019}}

It was announced on 24 March 2020 that the Centre was to be temporarily converted into the 4,000-bed NHS Nightingale Hospital as part of the response to the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Military engineers and contractors supported the erection of the facility, and army medics assisted the NHS nurses, doctors and other staff.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/gallery/coronavirus-nightingale-hospital-london-excel-17999428|title=Pictures show inside makeshift NHS 'Nightingale' hospital built by Army|last=Gold|first=Harry|date=2020-03-28|website=cambridgenews|access-date=2020-04-05}} The Nightingale was opened on 3 April 2020 by Charles, Prince of Wales via video link.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52150598|title=Coronavirus: Nightingale Hospital opens at London's Excel centre|work=BBC News |date=3 April 2020}}

Excel London is served by two Docklands Light Railway (DLR) stations, which span the full 600-metre length of the venue. The western entrance is directly linked to Custom House for Excel station, which serves the Platinum Suite and the event halls and is located next to the glass pyramid. Since 24 May 2022, the western entrance of Excel has been served by the Elizabeth line (known as the Crossrail project during construction), connecting the venue to central London in 12 minutes.{{Cite web|url=http://excel.london/crossrail|title=Crossrail |website=ExCeL London|access-date=24 May 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526162116/http://excel.london/crossrail |archive-date=26 May 2016 }}

The eastern entrance is connected to Prince Regent station. The eastern entrance serves the International Convention Centre (ICC at Excel), which was opened in 2010 by then-Mayor Boris Johnson and is London's first and currently only ICC. During major shows with large visitor attendances, extra shuttle trains are run between the venue and Canning Town station, which connects with London Underground's Jubilee line. Since June 2012, the London cable car now links Excel to The O₂ on the Greenwich Peninsula.

Excel London is also located near London City Airport station, which is linked by the DLR and a number of dual-carriageway roads which also provide onward access to the office and commercial district of Canary Wharf.

Excel London participates in the UN Global Compact Scheme,{{Cite web|url=https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/3579|title=ExCeL London |website=UN Global Compact |access-date=24 May 2016}} the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative which invites companies to align with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. As part of this scheme, Excel hosts annual events to communicate on progress addressing the issues of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption. Since joining the scheme in August 2007,{{Cite web|url=http://excel.london/marketing_toolkit_downloads/2958%20ExCeL%20UN%20Report%20V4_altered%20pagination.pdf|title=Excel London website – UN COP 2015|publisher=ExCeL London|access-date=24 May 2016}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Excel has undertaken a series of initiatives to reduce energy usage, increase recycling efforts and increase transparency across the business, such as the introduction of a whistleblowing hotline in May 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://excel.london/about-excel/sustainability|title=Excel|website=Excel London|access-date=24 May 2016}}

File:ExCeL London, Table Tennis, 28 July 2012.jpg events at the 2012 Summer Olympics.]]

For the 2012 Summer Olympics,{{cite web | url=http://www.london2012.com/venue/excel/ | title=ExCeL | website=London2012.com | publisher=London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games | location=UK | access-date=13 December 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205022514/http://www.london2012.com/venue/excel/ | archive-date=5 December 2012 }} Excel London was divided into five sports halls with capacities ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 that were used for boxing, fencing, judo, taekwondo, table tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.

Excel hosted two boxing matches on 10 December 2005, the first between British heavyweights Danny Williams and Audley Harrison and the second between Amir Khan and Daniel Thorpe.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

Excel also hosted the boxing match on 22 April 2008 between Amir Khan and Gairy St. Clair for the World Boxing Organization intercontinental lightweight title, and the boxing match on 29 November 2014 between Derek Chisora and Tyson Fury in a World Boxing Organization heavyweight championship eliminator.

The Virgin Active London Triathlon is held at Excel London on an annual basis, with the cycling and running legs taking place within and around the venue and the swim taking place in Royal Victoria Dock, adjacent to Excel.

Excel will host the inaugural Ultimate Tennis Showdown grand final in December 2023, a series of exhibition matches held during the professional tennis off-season.{{Cite news |last=Dunn |first=Carrie |date=13 October 2023 |title=London confirmed as host for UTS Grand Final |work=Tennis Majors |url=https://www.tennismajors.com/uts-news/london-confirmed-as-host-for-uts-grand-final-720474.html |url-status=live |access-date=23 November 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231123120810/https://www.tennismajors.com/uts-news/london-confirmed-as-host-for-uts-grand-final-720474.html |archive-date=23 November 2023 |quote=Excel London will stage the eight-man event from December 15-17}}{{needs update|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox motorsport venue

|Name = Excel London Circuit

|Time = GMT (UTC+0)
BST (April–October, UTC+1)

|Location = Custom House, Docklands, London, {{postcode|E|16}}
United Kingdom

|Coordinates =

|Image = 250px
Formula E Circuit (2023–present)
250px
Formula E Circuit (2022)
250px
Original Formula E Circuit (2021)

|Image_caption =

|FIAGrade = 3E

|Events = Current:
Formula E
London ePrix (2021–present)

|Opened = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2021|07|24}}

|Layout1 = Formula E Circuit (2023–present)

|Length_km = 2.086

|Length_mi = 1.296

|Turns = 20

|Record_time = 1:11.331

|Record_driver = {{flagicon|GBR}} Jake Hughes

|Record_car = Nissan e-4ORCE 04

|Record_year = 2024

|Record_class = F-E

|Layout2 = Formula E Circuit (2022)

|Length_km2 = 2.141

|Length_mi2 = 1.330

|Turns2 = 22

|Record_time2 = 1:14.349{{cite web |title=2022 London ePrix Race 2 Statistics |url=https://motorsportstats.com/results/formula-e/2022/london-e-prix-2/stats |access-date=31 July 2022}}

|Record_driver2 = {{flagicon|NZL}} Nick Cassidy

|Record_car2 = Audi e-tron FE07

|Record_year2 = 2022

|Record_class2 = F-E

|Layout3 = Original Formula E Circuit (2021)

|Length_km3 = 2.252

|Length_mi3 = 1.400

|Turns3 = 22

|Record_time3 = 1:21.635

|Record_driver3 = {{flagicon|NED}} Robin Frijns

|Record_car3 = Audi e-tron FE07

|Record_year3 = 2021

|Record_class3 = F-E

}}

The Formula E London ePrix was held with two back to back races at Excel, in July 2021 with part of the circuit running around the arena and part of the circuit in the exhibition hall itself.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/promotions/london-excel|title=2021 Heineken® London E-Prix|website=FIA Formula E|access-date=26 March 2020|archive-date=19 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119050644/https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/promotions/london-excel|url-status=dead}} It was also due to be held in 2020, however the event was cancelled after the Excel was repurposed as a temporary NHS hospital named NHS Nightingale, to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52018477|title=Excel Centre to be used as coronavirus hospital|first=Rachel|last=Schraer|work=BBC News |date=24 March 2020}} It held the final two rounds of the 2022–23 Formula E World Championship, after holding the penultimate round in 2022.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

{{Main|NHS Nightingale Hospital London}}

On 24 March 2020, the Excel was announced as a temporary NHS hospital, containing 5000 beds and named NHS Nightingale, to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic. This alternate care site was planned to shut down in early May 2020,{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/04/london-nhs-nightingale-hospital-placed-on-standby|title=London NHS Nightingale hospital will shut next week|first1=Denis|last1=Campbell|first2=Rowena|last2=Mason|newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 May 2020|via=www.theguardian.com}} but was also used as a mass vaccination centre as part of the COVID-19 vaccination programme from 11 January 2021.{{cite web |title=Covid: Mass vaccination centres to open in England |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55612270 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=11 January 2021 |date=11 January 2021}}

{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2019}}

File:ExCeL marina side.jpg

Excel London has hosted many different events, shows and award ceremonies, including the following events:

• Since 2001, the biannual UK arms fair DSEi.{{Cite web |title=Welcome |url=https://www.dsei.co.uk/ |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=DSEI 2023 |language=en-GB}}
• In 2003 filmmaker Dominic Leung filmed the music video of Coldplay's single Clocks at Excel with a laser show in front of a staged audience including university students.{{Cite web |last=Bowman |first=Lisa Marie |date=2017-05-23 |title=Music Video Of The Day: Clocks by Coldplay (2003, directed by Dominic Leung) |url=https://unobtainium13.com/2017/05/23/music-video-of-the-day-clocks-by-coldplay-2003-directed-by-dominic-leung/ |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=Through the Shattered Lens |language=en}}
• Each May and October, The MCM London Comic Con multi-genre convention is held at Excel.{{Cite web |title=MCM Comic Con |url=https://www.mcmcomiccon.com/global/en-us.html |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=www.mcmcomiccon.com |language=en-US}}
• British International Motor Show 2006 and 2008
• Between 13–15 July 2007, it hosted Star Wars Celebration Europe; the first Star Wars fan event of its kind held outside the United States which attracted nearly 40,000 visitors over the three days.
• On 2 April 2009, annual G-20 Leaders' Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, commonly called The London Summit 2009, the largest gathering of world leaders London has seen since the first United Nations General Assembly in 1946.
• The 2009 G20 London summit.
• Between 29–31 May 2009, Clothes Show London returned to the capital.
• On Sunday 16 December 2012, Excel hosted the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
• In April 2014, 49th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver.{{cite web|title=EASL 2014 Annual Meeting|url=http://eventegg.com/easl-2014/|publisher=Eventegg}}
• The ICC Auditorium also hosted Miss World 2014 on 14 December 2014.
• Excel hosted IP Expo Europe on 5–6 October 2016, Europe's largest IT event.
• It hosted the 2016 BBC Music Awards on 12 December, broadcast live on BBC One.
• Excel hosted the inaugural RTX London between 14–15 October 2017, as well as the upcoming RTX London between 15–16 September 2018.
• Excel hosted the final weekend of the 14th series of The X Factor on 2–3 December 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://metro.co.uk/2017/11/19/the-x-factor-2017-finals-will-be-held-at-the-excel-centre-for-the-first-time-7091303|title=The X Factor 2017 finals will be held at the Excel centre for the first time|date=19 November 2017|work=Metro|access-date=25 November 2017}}
• Excel also hosted Miss World 2019 finals on 14 December.
• University College London has held its graduation ceremonies at Excel since 2022 (including the postponed 2020 and 2021 graduations).{{cite news|url=https://thetab.com/uk/london/2021/11/12/ucl-announce-in-person-graduation-ceremonies-for-2020-and-2021-graduates-43230|title=UCL announce in-person graduation ceremonies for 2020 and 2021 graduates|author=Farah Sheikh|work=The Tab|date=12 November 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/graduation/frequently-asked-questions-students|title=Frequently Asked Questions – Students|website=UCL Graduations|date=12 January 2021 |at=Where are the July 2023 ceremonies taking place? |access-date=13 April 2023}}
• Excel hosted the RuPaul's DragCon UK event, from 6{{En dash}}8 January 2023.{{Cite web |last=Whyte |first=Woodrow |date=16 May 2022 |title=RuPaul's DragCon UK to return in 2023: Here's how to buy tickets |url=https://www.popbuzz.com/tv-film/rupauls-drag-race/dragcon-uk-2023-tickets-prices-presale-lineup/ |access-date=12 January 2023 |website=PopBuzz |language=en}}
• Star Wars Celebration Europe IV was held at Excel from 7–10 April 2023.{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/starwars/status/1531047358141587456 |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=Twitter |language=en |title=Let's do it again next year. #StarWarsCelebration returns to Europe in 2023. |author=Star Wars |date=29 May 2022 }}{{primary-inline|date=June 2025}}

In 2017 and 2019 there were demonstrations outside Excel to protest against the DSEI fair.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/21425479.campaigners-begin-occupation-excel-entrance-ahead-canning-town-arms-fair/ |title=Campaigners begin occupation of Excelentrance ahead of Canning Town arms fair|date=3 September 2019|website=Newham Recorder |first1=Luke |last1=Acton |access-date=3 September 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/37799|title=London: Week of protests against DSEI arms fair|date=2 September 2019|website=Independent Catholic News|access-date=3 September 2019}} In 2017 a number of arrests were made for obstructing the highway.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

{{reflist}}

{{Portal|UK}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://excel.london/whats-on Excel London What's On guide]

{{s-start}}

{{succession box

|title=Miss World venues

| before= Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center
{{flagicon|Indonesia}} Bali
Sanya City Arena
{{flagicon|China}} Sanya

| after=Crown of Beauty Theatre
{{flagicon|China}} Sanya
Coca-Cola Music Hall
{{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} San Juan

| years=2014
2019

}}

{{end}}

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{{Olympic venues table tennis}}

{{Olympic venues taekwondo}}

{{Olympic venues weightlifting}}

{{Olympic venues wrestling}}

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Category:Exhibition and conference centres in London

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Excel London

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