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Dramatic SEC expansion plans include floating platform on the Clyde

News imageSEC Campus Artist's impression of the expanded SEC campus. The large. circular OVO Hydro music venue - lit up green - is prominent as is the nearby Armadillor music venue. A circular platform, lit up, is sitting on the River Clyde. SEC Campus
Proposals for the expanded SEC include a platform or plaza sitting on the River Clyde

Owners of Glasgow's SEC campus have unveiled dramatic expansion plans, including designs for a new outdoor concert venue and a floating platform on the Clyde.

The proposals would turn about 64 acres of development land - which is mostly used for parking currently - into a "new city quarter" with shops and bars.

Outdoor shows would be hosted in the space directly behind the current SEC building, if the plans are approved.

The campus encompasses the OVO Hydro venue which hosts concerts and major events, the SEC Centre which is primarily used for conferences, and the SEC Armadillo for smaller concerts and theatre shows.

Among the new additions is a floating platform on the Clyde, though SEC bosses have not provided any further details on it.

Images of the proposed new look also show a new bridge going over the Clydeside Expressway, replacing the current walkway often referred to as the "Smartie tube".

Large buildings are also seen in the illustrations, serving as hotels or shops.

Funding would be secured via "a mix of public and private investment, driven by the economic benefits of the expanded campus" according to documents on the website of Invest Glasgow - the city council's business support hub.

It claims the wider city will financially benefit as a result of expansion, as well as private investors enjoying commercial returns thanks to the expansion plan, called Destination SEC (D-SEC).

The papers say the plan will "expand and enhance the core SEC offer" while also creating a "vibrant new urban district for Glasgow".

The documents do not mention if alternative parking spaces would be created, but a new car park is visible in the illustrations.

It stated: "D-SEC will create a dynamic environment that is active year-round, attracts global audiences, and fosters local community engagement - positioning the SEC as both a world-class venue and the heart of a new city quarter."

News imageSEC Campus Am artist's impression of the SEC Campus sitting along the River Clyde, looking down from the air. Visible are the three main conference and events venues, along with a new space behind them, hat looks like an open air events space.SEC Campus
SEC bosses say the expanded campus will be a "new urban district" for Glasgow

The three venues recently held 269 performances, 52 conferences, and 55 exhibitions over the course of a year, but about 60% of the overall campus footprint remains development land.

Owners SEC said more than two million visitors attend the campus each year, and turnover for the year to the end of March 2025 was £54.4m - a 30% increase.

The company recently installed a new primary substation in conjunction with Scottish Power to provide sufficient grid capacity for any future developments.

This year the SEC Campus hosted a number of events at the Commonwealth Games, including the opening and closing ceremonies, netball at the Hydro, boxing at the SEC Centre and weightlifting in the Armadillo.

The campus centre building was previously known as the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, which opened in the 1980s.

It was rebranded in 2017 to reflect the newer additions of the Armadillo and the Hydro alongside it.