OVO Arena Wembley (8/11/24 - Scooter)

 Scooter @ OVO Arena Wembley

8/11/2024

I can honestly say that seeing Scooter at the OVO Arena Wembley was the most fun I've had at a concert to date. The performance and atmosphere were incredible, and it was all brought together by a wonderful and easy experience with accessibility, right from booking the tickets to the care and consideration on the night. It was very clear to me that everyone I came into contact with had been trained very well when it came to looking after guests with hidden disabilities.

Booking tickets wasn't simple to start with, but after the initial obstacle, the experience improved drastically. Tickets were supposed to be bought through Ticketmaster, but after clicking on the accessible seating button, it said I had to phone to purchase tickets. Ticketmaster giving phoning as the only option isn't accessible because not everyone is able to communicate on a phone. Phoning to purchase tickets being the only accessible option is something I've come across a lot lately and is something that definitely needs improvement. Because phoning isn't a very easy option for me, I decided to email them instead, which worked out very well and, to this date, is the best ticket booking experience I've had. The response was very prompt, and it was clear the ticket agent knew the venue layout and accessibility information very well. The ticket agent asked my requirements, where I explained to him that I could walk up steps but would need somewhere where it was easy to get up and leave easily if I wasn't feeling well. It was his suggestion rather than my request that he would find me somewhere in the front row of a section on the end. His words exactly were, "Also request if they have any tickets close to an aisle? Judging from what you said, I believe that would be the best case scenario, and we go from there." This shows to me that the staff are excellently trained at understanding different disabilities. I was very impressed with how quickly they responded and how easy it was to book a ticket this way, and it is a method I will be using again in the future.

On we go to the night of the concert, and as this is the largest concert I've ever been to in general, not just alone, at a capacity of 12,500, I was fully expecting to be rather overwhelmed, so I decided to skip the support act and just attend for the main event, Scooter! Which I do kind of regret because I caught the last 10 minutes of the support, and he was amazing. Anyway, when I arrived, it was pretty quiet outside, as most people had already gone in, so I didn't have to worry about queues. I proceeded to the door listed on my ticket; however, when I arrived, there was no one to be seen. So I worked my way down to the next door, where they told me to go in via the main entrance. Once I got there, I showed someone my ticket, who walked me up to the doors and told me to wait outside. To this day, this was the act that I am most impressed with. At the time I was a little confused as to why he just left me outside on my own for a solid 5 minutes, but after he came back, he explained to me that something was kicking off in the foyer, and he said he didn't want to have to go through that. I was so impressed that he even thought about how me witnessing an altercation could make me overwhelmed and panic. I had never met a stranger with this amount of awareness before. I never got his name, but if you're reading this, thank you so, so much for being that aware and for going above and beyond to keep me not just calm but also safe.

Once inside, I had to go through a metal detector, and because I forgot to take my lanyard off, I set it off. Oops. Because of this I had to get a pat down from security, but once again they were super friendly. The woman saw my lanyard and asked if she could read the cards I have hanging from it explaining the details of my autism and brain tumour. After this, she introduced herself to me by name and asked my name. She then proceeded to tell me exactly what it was she was going to do, and then she told me that she'd be really gentle. Anywhere else that I've had to have a pat down, they've always just treated me the same as everyone else, not thinking about the discomfort it would cause me. So I was very impressed with this lady. Again, I don't know your name, but I thank you.

Like I said at the start, I had the most amazing time. Sometimes going to concerts alone I can feel a little sad and lonely, but not here. I was completely involved, happy, singing and dancing along. I couldn't have wished for a better night.

When it came time to leave, I decided not to leave early, so I was fully expecting it to be chaos. However, as soon as they played their last note, I quickly marched out of there as fast as I could. I even managed to have time to use the loo and get some merch. Because of the layout of the venue, there are many toilets and merch stands placed all over, so everyone was quite spaced out. Even after using the toilet and buying some merch, it still wasn't that crowded. I made it to the end of the road and hopped on my bus, which only one other person was waiting for. I was very shocked at how easy and stress-free it was to get out of the area.

Overall, I would highly recommend attending events at the OVO Arena Wembley. All the staff are well trained and highly knowledgeable about the venue and a variety of disabilities they will go above and beyond to make you feel safe and included. I have no fears when it comes to returning to this venue in the future. 

Taken by me, OVO Arena Wembley - 2024