Credit: geograph.org
Deputy News Editor
The Hydro has beaten all other venues in the world to be crowned with this honour
The Glasgow SSE Hydro has been named the best performing mid-sized venue in the world. The Hydro, located in Finnieston, has just recently celebrated its fifth year of business. The concert and event venue brought in nearly £38.5 million in a year, placing it above Hamburg’s Barclaycard Arena, the Hallestadion in Zurich and Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz arena on Billboard’s Boxscore list.
Since its opening in September 2013, the Hydro has brought in over 5.2 million visitors with a staggering 635 events. Their internal record was broken by Celine Dion’s show in August of last year, with her performance generating £1.3 million in a single night.
The Hydro itself has also opened up the entire Finnieston area, and the opening of 48 new bars and restaurants that have appeared since 2013 has been dubbed the “Hydro effect”.
Debbie Williams, head of live entertainment at the venue, said: “An artist can come here and be pretty much guaranteed success in terms of ticket sales.” The demand for artists is high, and the venue itself recently upgraded its range of hospitality services which in turn contributed to the record revenue.
Williams also stated: “We need to ensure that we are keeping ahead of the game.” With the prospect of virtual reality becoming a part of the Hydro’s events in the future, they shouldn’t have to relinquish their status as best mid-sized venue any time soon.
