OVO Hydro — Attraction in Great Britain

Review

I attended the OneRepublic concert with Ella Henderson at OVO Hydro in Glasgow on 23 September. The performances were incredible – Ella Henderson’s voice was stunning, and OneRepublic were absolutely brilliant. The music, the atmosphere, and the stage production made it a truly memorable night.

However, the venue’s organisation and staff ruined much of the experience.

Cloakroom From the moment we entered, problems began. I had a very small backpack (A4 size) and was forced to leave it in the cloakroom and pay £3. The way this was communicated was aggressive and manipulative – I was told that if I didn’t comply, a supervisor would be called. My friend, who also had a small bag, faced the same treatment. The only positive was the lady in the cloakroom, who was friendly, professional, and helpful, even suggesting we put a jacket in the backpack to pay for only one item.

Bar and ID policy During the interval, I tried to buy a drink. I am 23 and had four different government-approved IDs, yet I was refused service because the Hydro only accepts a passport or driving licence. Meanwhile, my friend, who is older than 25 but looks much younger, was sold alcohol without any ID check at all. She didn’t have a passport or driving licence either, but the staff served her anyway. This inconsistency felt completely unfair and frustrating. The bar staff were young, untrained, and rude, making the experience even worse.

Double standards and atmosphere The worst part was the inconsistency of the rules. My tiny backpack was treated like a major security risk, and my valid IDs were not accepted – yet people nearby smelled strongly of marijuana, and security did nothing. Maybe they smoked before coming in, maybe inside, but the smell was overwhelming. Somehow vaping and smelling of weed is acceptable, but my bag and IDs are not.

Staff at the entrance I want to note that the stewards at the entrance, who scanned tickets and guided people to the stage, were completely fine. I had a normal, polite experience with them. The staff who checked tickets and wristbands at the entrance were also professional and polite. The problems were mainly inside the venue, with cloakroom, bars, and other staff.

The worst part Even more than the rules, the way staff explained them was the absolute worst. The tone was rude and dismissive, making me feel like a problem rather than a paying guest. All I wanted was to enjoy the concert and have one simple drink, but instead I faced frustration and inconsistency.

Conclusion The concert itself was amazing – OneRepublic and Ella Henderson were perfect. The venue and staff, however, were extremely disappointing. Beautiful building, fantastic performance, but terrible staff attitude and policies that make no sense. OVO Hydro needs to rethink how they train staff and enforce rules, because right now the experience is ruined by double standards and...

I’m a life long music lover and despite being no spring chicken, continue to enjoy live gigs and festivals. However I’m now disabled and that hugely impacts me when attending live events. As a result, this was my first gig at the Hydro, despite being fairly local.

It was one of my favourite bands, Thirty Seconds To Mars and I was taking my son and a family friend (both teenagers).

I had booked front standing tickets and I decided to let the boys have that thrill of being really close to the stage that I remembered from my first gigs as a teenager.

My husband dropped us at the front where there were two queues already. The entrances weren't well signposted, but there were loads of staff around to keep us right.

It wasn't long before our queue started moving, and the entrance came into view.

Security was plentiful with body scans and bag searches, all done promptly and professionally. On entering, wrist bands were issued, and within no time at all, we were in.

We made our way straight into the hall and managed to snag a very comfortable spot with only one person from the barriers at the front.

It's always a risky move, being so close to the front, you can't move around much, and there's the chance of getting squashed, but the OVO have managed to split the standing well.

The security at the front was also hyper aware of the crowd, not just to prevent trouble but to provide assistance and hydration to us superfans who never left our spot for 4 hours!

I was very impressed to find staff regularly offering cups of water, and when we did break from the front, the staff couldn't have been more helpful.

The staff were super vigilant and checked our welfare on more than one occasion.

The toilets were clean, plentiful, and easily accessed, as were all of the refreshment and merchandise outlets.

Everything felt spacious, modern, and extremely well organised. I felt safe, no mean feat in a venue that size whilst responsible for two teen boys.

I didn't witness any antisocial behaviour, and the crowd felt controlled at all times, which allowed us to enjoy the amazing show put on by the band.

Even exiting the OVO was painless with no hold ups.

I don't know if we were just lucky, but everything went smoothly from start to finish.

I wouldn't hesitate to return to the OVO Hydro, but would only stand in one spot all night for Jared Leto❣️ Oh, and Thirty Seconds To Mars were a...

WRESTLING at OVO

I’ve been to every one of this company’s wrestling shows, and this was by far the worst experience I’ve ever had.

I honestly hope they never return to this venue.

Doors were meant to open at 5.30, but it took another 30+ minutes before anyone could move inside. At the door I was told there was a strictly no flags policy ... something they’d clearly made up on the spot ... yet once inside, people were waving Scottish flags without issue. The annoyance isn’t even the flag itself, it’s the principle and the inconsistency. I’ve brought the exact same flag to events at the Utilita Arena and Wembley with no problem, so why suddenly here? It just felt like a slap in the face to dedicated international fans.

I paid over £400+ for “premium” seats only to have my view blocked by security staff sitting directly in front of me. At 5’6”, the seats were so low I’d have needed a booster seat just to see anything ... pointless when you’re forced to watch the screens instead of the ring.

Queues were long and chaotic thanks to the delayed entry. When I asked a steward where to queue for food, I was sent to the wrong place and then rudely told the hotdogs were only for the bar next door. There were no proper signs for food ... only for beer, cider, and wine. Eventually I found food several sections away, but by then the damage was done.

And the prices? £6.25 for a warm 330ml beer, only one brand available, flat cola poured from cheap 2L bottles, and warm cider from bottles. An absolute disgrace.

Overall, it was a dreadful night at the OVO Glasgow. Between obstructed views, useless premium seats, incompetent stewarding, endless queues, poor food/drink setup, and a nonsensical flag policy, I left feeling ripped off and frustrated. I even left before the show ended.

I wouldn’t recommend this venue and I hope the wrestling company chooses to go elsewhere in future, and I certainly...