Scottish Exhibition Centre’s (SEC) SSE Hydro in Glasgow has been renamed OVO Hydro, following a partnership with energy supplier OVO Energy.

Having re-opened its doors in September following an 18-month closure, the 14,300-capacity venue is expected to welcome over 1.2m visitors next year. SEC said over 40% more events are programmed for 2022 than in an average year.

The venue will host international artists such as Shawn Mendes, Billie Eilish and The Weeknd, along with UK artists including Dua Lipa and Anne-Marie.

OVO Energy and SSE will work together as part of the arena’s journey to achieve A Greener Festival’s independent certification process, ‘Greener Arena Certification’.

OVO said it will support the venue’s goal to achieve the certification through funding of specific carbon-reduction and environmental initiatives recommended as a result of the annual accreditation process.

The partnership will run until at least September 2023. OVO will assume the title partner rights for the remainder of the existing partnership agreement, having acquired SSE Energy Services in 2020.

OVO’s head of sponsorship and partnerships Colin Banks (pictured right) said, “It’ll take time, but together, we want to make lower-impact live events a headline act in their own right and the ‘Greener Arena Certification’ process is an incredibly positive step on that journey.

“We’ll also be supporting the venue in identifying practical ways in which we can help to further reduce its environmental impact, without detracting from the OVO Hydro’s first-class visitor experience. We look forward to releasing more detail around some of the initiatives already being put in place, in the very near future.”

SEC director of live entertainment Debbie McWilliams said, “We’ve endured a long wait for live entertainment to return, but now we are back and looking forward to our biggest ever schedule of events in 2022.”