About OVO Hydro
OVO Hydro plays host to national and international music megastars as well as global entertainment and sporting events.
With a maximum capacity of 14,300, OVO Hydro augments the SEC’s existing facilities and stages 140+ events annually.
Attracting an audience of more than a million visitors each year, the venue is consistently ranked by Pollstar in the top 10 arenas globally, alongside iconic venues like Madison Square Garden and The O2.
Since opening in September 2013, OVO Hydro has staged the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, the Ryder Cup Gala Concert and the 2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. It was also a venue for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The architects
London-based Foster + Partners are the architects behind OVO Hydro.
With an international reputation, Foster + Partners are responsible for breathtaking buildings such as Hong Kong’s Chep Lap Kok Airport, City Hall London, Hearst Tower New York, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, as well as the Bilbao Metro and the SEC’s own iconic Armadillo.
Foster + Partners were delighted to have been involved in creating the OVO Hydro as a fitting partner to the SEC Armadillo. OVO Hydro is an exciting new landmark for a great city and a world-class performance venue for Scotland. Its design strengthens connections to the River Clyde and, along with the Riverside Museum, Trongate 103, Glasgow Science Centre, The Tall Ship, Titan Crane and many other attractions, is central to the Queen’s Dock and riverfront redevelopment.
Quick facts
Built on the site of the former Queen’s Dock, OVO Hydro is the only UK venue of its scale built specifically for live entertainment. It is the largest entertainment venue in Scotland.
OVO Hydro has been designed to be flexible, accommodating a wide range of concerts, conferences and events. The venue has a maximum capacity of 14,300 (seated and standing in performance bowl).
The unique façade of the OVO Hydro, made up of pneumatic translucent cushions, has been made possible by using a special film originally developed for the space industry. This allows natural light to illuminate the foyers during the day and the arena to ‘glow’ at night.
OVO Hydro has a 125 metre wide roof, with the diagonally latticed steelwork forming a shallow silver dome standing 45 metres at its highest point.
The distinctive elliptical sloping shape of the OVO Hydro was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman amphitheatres. This shape offers the optimum balance of viewing angle and distance from the stage.
To find out more about hiring the venue, please click here.
Scottish Event Campus
OVO Hydro is part of the SEC (Scottish Event Campus) which is owned and operated by Scottish Event Campus Limited, a private Scottish Company limited by shares.
The shareholding in Scottish Event Campus Limited. is 90.86% owned by Glasgow City Council (GCC) and 9.14% by a number of private institutions, such as banks, pension funds and insurance companies.
Previously known as the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC), the campus is operated by Scottish Event Campus Limited, which includes OVO Hydro, SEC Armadillo, SEC Centre, car parks and surrounding land.
Governance is provided by a Board of Directors under a Chairman elected by the Board. A number of non-executive Board members chair sub-committees.
Our registered office is: Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow, G3 8YW
Company number: SC082081
