FIVE years on and you just have to look at how Finnieston has changed to see 'The Hydro Effect'.

The West End area has become the destination for a night out with at least 48 new bars and restaurants cropping up since the Hydro opened on September 30, 2018.

The venue's chief executive Peter Duthie, who exclusively revealed to The Evening Times on Thursday that the Hydro has contributed half a billion pounds to the city's economy, said: "People are quite up front about 'The Hydro Effect' in Finnieston. I think 48 bars and restaurants have opened since the Hydro opened.

"We obviously got the Radisson RED hotel which just opened earlier this year. There are another two hotels which are going to be starting to get built this year, beside the multi-storey car park. All of those things are based on the success of the Hydro."

 

There are over 1,000 hotel rooms for concert-goers to choose from which are just a five-minute walk from the Hydro.

This year, Radisson RED opened their 174-room hotel complete with rooftop bar.

Michael Weston, curator at Radisson RED Glasgow, said: “Radisson RED is always at the heart of the action. The Hydro is an iconic, world-renowned venue and to be located only 200 metres away has had a massive positive impact on business. Not only is RED ideally placed for music-lovers in need of a great night’s sleep, but also a great night out."

For many going to the Hydro to watch a show, it can be a real experience. Concert-goers will not only pay for the ticket. They will book a hotel room and a meal - and that is something the area's businesses are reaping the benefits of.

 

Peter McKenna, chef-owner of The Gannet, said the Hydro has had a positive impact on his business which opened months before the venue.

He said: "We are growing in line with the Hydro and I never knew business before.

"We didn’t know what to expect when we opened up in Finnieston. It wasn’t anything like it is now. We were hoping it was going to be a good neighbourhood and to be honest we were quite ignorant of the Hydro. We didn’t know until we started work on the Gannet.

He added: "The Hydro is incredible. It is one of the best music venues I have ever been to. I'm an avid fan of going to gigs and it is a credit to the city."

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 hotspot 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 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 a 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, 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."