Climbing new heights: How Virgin Money rocked the rooftop of The O2

In a case of ‘music when the lights go out’, Virgin Money hosted a series of intimate sunset gigs on top of The O2 in London this summer.

The gigs were held across three nights in August and featured DYLAN, Aaron Taylor and Mosa Wild – as three artists involved in the Virgin Money Emerging Stars programme.

Virgin Money customers who scored the limited tickets were treated to a completely unique experience. The journey kicked off with a climb onto The O2’s iconic roof before being serenaded on the rooftop, while the sun set over the London skyline. 

The Rock the Rooftop gigs are part of Virgin Money’s commitment to supporting up-and-coming artists and upholding Virgin’s legacy in the music industry. They come after more than 18 months of venue closures, silenced stages and tour cancellations as a result of the global pandemic. Virgin Money wanted to help the industry bounce back, and follow on from the 2020 shows at the Virgin Money Unity Arena – the first socially distanced music venue in the UK.

The first Up At The O2 gig featured deep-pop ballads from the 20-year-old, Suffolk-based singer-songwriter DYLAN. According to DYLAN, the support of up and coming artists is more crucial now than ever:

“It’s one of the most important things, especially with lockdown and not being able to play live and not earn money because we’re not playing live. It helps us keep going and gives us something to work for. It gives us a glimpse of hope and I think the emerging artists are the next generation of musicians that hopefully one day are doing arena tours.”

Image from Virgin Money

Aaron Taylor took to the rooftop for the second gig, and mesmerised the crowd with his blissful, soulful beats. As a London born and raised artist, Aaron could just about make out his childhood home from the rooftop stage.

Kami White

As the sun went down on the final evening of gigs, Mosa Wild lit up the rooftop and delivered their signature melody-rich and cinematic sounds all evening. When talking about the importance of supporting emerging musicians, the band said:

“It’s pretty much essential, the music scene is such a vital part of our culture and unfortunately one that gets overlooked. Musicians, venues and all the other contract workers that contribute towards the music scene need a great deal of support in times like these.”

Image from Virgin Money

Virgin Money’s Emerging Stars programme was developed to identify, encourage and amplify the best emerging talent in the UK. The team is working with key figures from the UK music industry to identify artists that are already starting to make waves but could do with an additional leg up to help push them to the next stage of their careers. On top of opportunities such as the Rock the Rooftop gigs, each chosen artist receives support from Virgin Money to help propel them towards stardom. This includes a £10,000 development fund to help each artist follow their dreams by easing the financial pressure on them at this crucial point in their careers.

When the sun goes down, Virgin Money lights up the stage. You can find more amazing experiences and exclusive rewards available to Virgin Money customers by heading to the Exclusive Rewards section of your Virgin Money mobile banking app.