That continue to reap the rewards from the venue’s concert-goers
Chef Nico Simeone, Six by Nico Glasgow, added: “Having the Hydro in the Finnieston neighbourhood is a real benefit for our restaurant. Six by Nico first opened in 2016 alongside a flurry of brilliant new eateries making it one of Glasgow’s hotspots for eating and drinking. Restaurants can gain bookings when some of the big acts come to town and the Hydro brings both new and international visitors into our thriving area.”
Barry Oates, owner of Kelvingrove Café, launched in Finnieston because the High Street was too expensive, and now he like many others, is reaping the rewards of taking a
‘‘ I do genuinely believe that the Hydro has played a major role in making Finnieston a social destination
chance on an area which didn’t have the nightlife reputation it now has.
He said: “There is a huge ripple effect from the Hydro. It is not just Glaswegians that go to it. The Hydro is not like going to a gig at King Tut’s where you pay a fiver at the door. It is £100 a ticket and people come from all over, from Dundee to Belfast, to see Lady Gaga or whoever is playing. When they are paying that money for a ticket, you better believe they are getting a hotel and going out for dinner and cocktails. They are making an event of it.”
He added: “The Hydro is the reason that Finnieston can exist. That is why we can all be these successful businesses and put out a luxury product so well – that venue will spill out 10,000 people on a Tuesday night.
“We don’t have to make concessions as much as other people would in such an out of the way area.”
The venue aside, Finnieston has now become a weekend destination for the city’s nightlife which easily competes with the likes of Shawlands, the city centre and the West End.
Debbie McWilliams, who is responsible for bringing some of the world’s biggest acts to Glasgow as head of live entertainment at the Hydro says Finnieston is her first choice for a night out. She said: “I do genuinely believe that the Hydro has played a major role in making Finnieston a social destination.
“I don’t know about you but I’m inclined more often than not to go for something to eat in Finnieston at the weekend when I am out.
“I don’t really go into town as such. Finnieston for me is where it is really happening at the moment. I am pleased that most of the restaurants that you see which started up there are still going strong.”
She added: “And when you go up there on the night of a gig, and the whole place is alive and bustling, it is incredible.”