Date :
17/09/2014
The SSE Hydro, one of Scotland’s largest and most popular entertainment venues, turns one year old on the 30th September, having exceeded expected visitors numbers and having attracted some of the world’s biggest names in rock, pop and comedy.
The £125m, 12,000 fully seated auditorium is modelled on Greek and Roman amphitheatres, its silver dome and multicoloured walls of light now established as a recognisable feature of the Glasgow skyline. When built, it was anticipated that 1 million visitors would attend events in the first year. This figure was surpassed by the end of July 2014, ten months after opening the doors for its first ever concert by Rod Stewart. The Hydro was awarded the Most Stylish Entertainment Venue at the 2013 Scottish Style Awards and has been ranked 3rd in the Pollstar Top 100 Worldwide Arena Venues.
It is perhaps no surprise with such impressive credentials, along with the legendary warmth of Glasgow crowds talked about by artists around the world, that the Hydro and the city have attracted the biggest international megastars to play at the city’s premier venue.
Multimillion record selling artists including Prince, Beyonce, Michael Buble, Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton, Andre Rieu and Justin Timberlake have already graced the impressive stage with shows by Lady Gaga, Kylie, The Who and Jack White still to come this year. The venue was also host to sporting events during the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow and has attracted some of the UK’s biggest comedy stars.
It is anticipated that The SSE Hydro will inject around £131m per annum into the local economy, with tourism related businesses receiving a large share of this. Music lovers travel from around the world to see their heroes, visiting the city, often staying on afterwards to explore the city and beyond. With new developments arising in the area around the venue including a new hotel and restaurants, the Hydro effect can already be seen in the city.
The Tourism Intelligence Scotland’s free downloadable Events, Festivals and Cultural tourism guide is a valuable online resource for the tourism industry. Hosting key facts about live event tourism, how the tourist industry can get involved with events and how to act now to capitalise on the success of Scotland’s biggest purpose built live entertainment venue.