John Bishop renames Glasgow's OVO Hydro 'Kevin Bridges's house'

On Heart Scotland radio, comedian John Bishop reflected on performing north of the border and the distinctive reaction of Scottish audiences, saying: “The Scottish laughter is a strong laughter but the silence is a strong silence.”

Bishop went on to recall his early days on the Scottish stand-up circuit, adding: “We were doing the Fringe where you were cutting your teeth, but you know to come up when you do the stand and you do all of those clubs up in Scotland, and the Hydro is a brilliant venue for stand up.”

Addressing the arena’s size, he continued: “People think it’s big, which it is obviously, but the way it’s shaped makes it work for stand up, because everyone’s close to you.”

The line that caught the most attention came when Bishop linked the venue directly to one of Scotland’s most successful comedians, saying: “I mean I don’t call it the Hydro, I call it Kevin Bridges’s house.”

Kevin Bridges will be performing in the Hydro later this year as part of his UK tour. (Image: Archives)

The comment comes as Bridges prepares for a major UK and Ireland tour in 2026, with his Here If You Need Me stand-up show scheduled to play a string of dates across arenas and theatres, including multiple performances at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro between September and November.

Organisers have already added extra shows following high demand, bringing his total 2026 tour schedule to dozens of dates across the UK and Ireland.

Bridges recently completed a 20-date tour across the United States and Canada, marking his first major North American run.

With an extended run in the city that has repeatedly sold out his shows, you could call the Hydro Kevin Bridges’s house this year.