The Hydro | |
 | |
.jpg) The OVO Hydro, then the SSE Hydro, in 2017 | |
 Interactive map of The OVO Hydro | |
| Former names | Scotland's National Arena (planning) Scottish Hydro Arena (construction) The SSE Hydro (September 30, 2013 – October 2021) |
|---|---|
| Address | Exhibition Way Stobcross Road |
| Location | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°51′37″N4°17′06″W / 55.860297°N 4.284926°W /55.860297; -4.284926 |
| Public transit | Exhibition Centre railway station |
| Owner | Scottish Event Campus Limited |
| Operator | AEG Live / ASM Global |
| Capacity | 12,306 (all seated) 14,500 (with standing) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 2011; 15 years ago (2011-02) |
| Built | 2011–2013 |
| Opened | 30 September 2013; 12 years ago (2013-09-30) |
| Construction cost | £125 million |
| Architect | Foster + Partners |
| Project manager | Turner & Townsend |
| Structural engineer | Arup |
| General contractor | Lendlease |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheOVO Hydro is a multi-purpose indoorarena located within the Scottish Event Campus inGlasgow, Scotland.[1]
The arena was initially namedThe Scottish Hydro Arena after its main sponsorScottish Hydro Electric.[2] During construction, Scottish Hydro Electric was rebranded as SSE and the arena was known as TheSSE Hydro when it opened until October 2021, when it was announced that the name was to change to "OVO Hydro", after its new sponsorOVO Energy, with a focus on making the venue more sustainable.[3] The arena was officially opened on 30 September 2013, with a concert byRod Stewart.[4]
The OVO Hydro arena is located adjacent to theSEC Centre and theSEC Armadillo and hosts international musical stars, global entertainment and sporting events; with a maximum capacity of 14,300 and aims to attract one million visitors each year.[4] The arena was the largest entertainment venue in Scotland, before the opening ofAberdeen'sP&J Live in 2019, and the fifth largest in the UK.
Planning for The Hydro began some time in 2001 as the second redevelopment of the Queens Dock inGlasgow.[5] In May 2003, a plan had been unveiled for an entertainment arena,[6] holding 12,300 seated audience members and an extra 2,000 standing.
London-based architectsFoster + Partners were appointed as the design team for the Hydro in May 2004,[7][8] with Glasgow-based Elphinstone additionally appointed as the preferred developer for the site.[9] The design of the arena was finally released to the press in October 2005,[10] and the SECC gained full planning consent for the arena by 2006.[11]
Construction for the arena began in February 2011 by construction company Lend Lease. By November 2011, building work for the roof of the arena had begun, which was completed by April 2013. The arena's signature translucent outer cushions were installed in May 2013, along with the seating inside of the arena, marking construction of the arena completed, taking two years to complete.[5]
At approximately 15:20 on Sunday 8 June 2013,[12] flames were reported to be coming from the domed roof of the partially completed building.[13] 40 firefighters from theScottish Fire and Rescue Service attended the blaze.[14] It was determined that the fire was caused by ongoing welding work on the building's roof.[15][16] On 18 June, the venue's operator revealed that despite additional challenges, work on the venue was still on track for completion.[17]
On 14 December 2014, theBBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ceremony was held at the venue.[18] During the2014 Commonwealth Games the SSE Hydro was home to the netball and gymnastic events.[19] On 18 July 2015, theUFC held their inaugural Scottish eventUFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites at the Hydro.[20] From 23 October to 1 November 2015, the SSE Hydro hosted theArtistic gymnastics world championships.[21]
In 2016, the venue hosted a heavyweight boxing fight betweenDillian Whyte andIan Lewison. Later, it has hosted four boxing fights headlined by Scottish light welterweight boxerJosh Taylor. It also hosted two rounds of the 2018–19World Boxing Super Series.
On 20 November 2016, Scottish wrestling promotionInsane Championship Wrestling ranICW Fear & Loathing IX at the Hydro in front of 6,193 fans[22][23][24][25] and was described as themost attended independent UK and European wrestling event in 35 years.[26][27][28][29][30] They returned the next year for ICW Fear & Loathing X.[31]
On 15 June 2024,WWE hosted itspremium live eventClash at the Castle: Scotland at OVO Hydro, marking the company's first event in the country since 2002[32] and its first ever major, televised PPV event held in Scotland. As a prelude, WWE broadcast an episode ofSmackDown from the arena on 14 June.[33]
In April 2025,All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced that they would make their Scotland debut with a dual taping ofAEW Dynamite andAEW Collision from the Hydro on 20 August 2025, thego-home show beforeForbidden Door: London.[34]
The OVO Hydro was used for exterior shots of the venue for the fictional 2020Eurovision Song Contest in the 2020 filmEurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.[35]
For the television showRunning Point, the outside of the (fictional) Los Angeles Wavesbasketball arena is the OVO Hydro[36]
The OVO Hydro was host to the largest televised debate seen in Scotland's history,Scotland Decides: The Big, Big Debate, held on the evening of Thursday 11 September 2014; towards the end of theScottish independence referendum campaign. TheMentorn/BBC Scotland organised debate, in which every secondary school in Scotland was invited to take part, involved around 7,500 first time voters and was broadcast on BBC One during the evening of 11 September 2014[37] and was presented byJames Cook.[38]
In 2016, the arena handled 751,487 ticket sales, making it the eighth-busiest music arena in the world in terms of ticket sales. It also hosted theUFC's first event in Scotland.[39]
In 2019, the Hydro was the second busiest venue in the world behindMadison Square Garden inNew York City.[40] The venue attracts over 1 million visitors per year, making it a regular feature in the top ten arenas globally.[41]
| World's Busiest Arenas – 2023[42] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Ticket sales | |
| Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA | 1,985,832 | |
| Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile | 1,451,098 | |
| The O2 Arena, London, England | 1,264,882 | |
| WiZink Center, Madrid, Spain | 1,191,860 | |
| Accor Arena, Paris, France | 1,134,237 | |
| Kia Forum, Inglewood, USA | 1,100,855 | |
| Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, USA | 1,015,253 | |
| OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland | 1,012,333 | |
| Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany | 1,004,777 | |
| 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland | 975,640 | |
Media related toThe SSE Hydro at Wikimedia CommonsAuthority control databases: Geographic |
|---|