BST Hyde Park Avis 

The event is very poorly managed in terms of the customer experience. The bathroom experiences are by far the worst we have had at Hyde Park, having been to a Proms in the Park Event and a number of events sponsored by Barclaycard which were better by a street mile - no hand wash at the bath rooms, the staff closed off half the bathrooms because they were too lazy to do anything - quite shocking. The food outlets were also very poor - the two we threw in the bin. The safe evacuation routes were not kept clear as per our previous experience with other sponsors. If Amex are the sponsor in the future we will not book again. Rubbish

The event was well organised and we enjoyed all of the bands. No long waits for water or toilets, had a great experience apart from the end of the event when the organisers decided it would be a good idea to make thousands of people exit through the same gate. A huge bottle neck and an extra 25 mins needed to leave the event. Then due to all of the walkways and road closures, another walk around the perimeter of Hyde park to get to our car. Once in the car, could not easily leave London as all of the roads coned off! What a nightmare! why would you do this BST, you created a problem that you did not need. Just let people leave in the direction they wish to leave in. Funnelling everyone in the same direction creates the crowd issues. Travellers to this event should be aware that at the end, Marble Arch and the tube station will be closed, you will not be able to get to your car if you use the Q parking under Hyde park, without a long walk down park lane and back into the park. Add another hour onto your time after you leave, better still leave before the last act finishes if you want to avoid this.

I’m only giving this a 3 because the acts were so good. Everything else about this event and its organisation were awful and unsafe. We paid for priority entry but it would seem everyone had this and we ended up joining the general admission queue because it was shorter. Staff were unhelpful and at no point did anyone help with crowd control in the walking areas. I ended picking a woman out of a body crush because she was having a panic attack. Food stalls were slow and over crowded. You were lucky there wasn’t an emergency because you had no plan on how to access the main crowd. Not a chance. Do better.

Totally miss sold Diamond View Tickets. Having attended various events at BST in the top ticket tier it has become apparent that VIP does not give you a better experience. I went to see Take That and because they have increased the Diamond View area year on year, it is now so packed that you are nowhere near the stage and it is certainly not a VIP experience. The Summer Garden is over sold as the organisers are looking to make more money year on year. I will not be returning to BST based on this. After waiting 4 years to see TT live again, I left the concert extremely disappointed and out of pocket considering the experience.

Very very very disappointed experience. I paid £275 for a golden circle VIP hideaway ticket to see Take That on Saturday. What an absolute rip off. Only 3 food outlets serving about 3000 people. Queues for food, queues for toilets and absolutely rammed in to see the acts. When I did this 7 years ago it was a much better experience - a lot less queuing and much more room around you to see the acts. Someone is making a huge amount of money out of this event. Will not go again

Greed! Amex and BST amazing act but treated like animals oversold, I was ok but the female guest over 1-2 hour wait for toilets understaffed and dangerous no Health and safety how that can get away with this I don't know! I paid £175 per ticket to take my daughter to Take that as she was always wanted to go only to find be put behind a blocked view didn't even see the stage. Golden Circle more like Golden pockets Amex, Bad planning and over priced the Act was Amazing nothing taken away from them but the greed of the corporate monster, I have now been three times and will never go again.

The main stage was awful. We couldn't see a thing, couldn't even see the screens. Huge 'stand/tower' at the left of the stage completely blocked the view from there, so everyone gathered at the same place.
Travelled from abroad specifically to see blackpink perform and all I could manage was to hear them.
No one searching small bags, only big ones, that weren't even supposed to be allowed, according to the festivals rules. Didn't feel safe.
Very disappointed.

Fortunately the acts were fabulous. Take That didn’t disappoint in any way. However, difficult to know where to start with the organisation, or lack of it, at Hyde Park. We had paid extra for priority entry an hour earlier than GA. However, when we got there at about 1.30pm we couldn’t see the end of the queue. When we asked the staff member at the entry point if the people at the back of the priority entry queue would get in before 2.00pm, he said he didn’t think so and assured us we could go in at the 2.00pm GA entry gate. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and staff at the GA gate told us to go back to the priority entry queue! I get that numbers at the respective gates have to be managed but it was clear they had oversold priority admission and there was no advantage whatsoever in paying the extra unless you started queuing at about 12.30 which we weren’t able to do. Long and frustrating story short, we were eventually allowed in the GA gate at 2.00pm, along with other people who had decided the priority queue was no priority at all! Hassle before we even got it. I won’t bother to comment on the loo queues, blocked access pathways etc etc. it’s all been said!

The Take That BST 2023 was an accident waiting to happen and was based, in my opinion on profit, and managing with reduced staffing levels rather than people’s safety and well-being.

I’ve been to many many events at Hyde Park over the years and this was scary and chaotic. No stewards around and no site management or guidance. We asked 10 different people where first aid was and none of them knew. We sought out a site manager and raised our concerns and her response was, my job is to look after the H&S of our clients (although I can’t be 100% sure she said clients but you get my drift) but there was no action to support this, just well trodden words.

It took me 25 minutes to push my way to the toilets before the main event as there was no clear pathways to follow and there wasn’t 1 steward available to help to direct and help. We were told when we arrived that we couldn’t take back supports on site due the health and safety risks, but the lack of site management was a much bigger danger. The walk ways weren’t kept clear, as was always the case previously, the ground was totally littered with strewn cans, rubbish and bottles, where as in the past there was litter collection and bins, with the resulting effect of when you were trying to get out, the trip factor was a reality and danger to all.

I have spoken to friends who went to see Pink last week and they reported the same. In speaking to the head of accessibility on site when I eventually found someone to talk to, I was told they knew about all of these problems, and with the demographics of the audiences it wasn’t a surprise I was complaining, as many had before this BST season and he was expecting a further flood of complaints especially as Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel were playing.

But it continues. We’re supposed to be seeing Billy Joel on Friday, but with the site issues and the fact you are not allowed to take even back supports in, let alone chairs, as they are all deemed a health and risk, which is ridiculous and I would challenge also discriminatory as there aren’t any reasonable adjustments being made. Again this was confirmed by the accessibility team.

So in short, I appreciate the music line up is great, but the site event management, health and safety along with customer care is a real concern, and I would genuinely think twice before going if there are any mobility or health issues, as you won’t get any help or support as I found to my cost.

Having been to six previous BST Hyde Park events - yesterday at Take That was the first time I’ve had issues. The toilet queues were massive - no stewards helping funnel people and every time I went half of the toilets were shut for cleaning, which was causing the queues. I tried 3 different toilets. Terrible compared to previous experiences

Great experience/staging/ logistics/
The whole thing
Brilliant!!

Absolutely worst experience. Venue was too overcrowded. People kept picnic blankets hogging loads of space up until Take That came on stage. You couldn’t move for people. Walkways were overcrowded, with people even sitting there earlier on. I feel for anyone who had a disability. Loo queues were crazy. Needed at least double the amount to even begin to cope with numbers. Queues for food and drink just crazy. Had I had a good view of stage that might have been ok but could not see a thing. The Gold area took the front of the stage and those paying standard couldn’t even see people on stage as it was so low down. I didn’t expect close up views but I expected to at least see they were on stage. If I was lucky I could see the top of their head. If they went on the walkway I could forget seeing anything. I couldn’t even see them properly on the screens as they were weirdly placed on the low down stage with the tree blocking some of the view. Beautiful stage design but total lack of visibility, overcrowded and overpriced venue made it a rubbish experience.

Never experienced such a bad festival layout.. when I went to BST in 2019, it was brilliant - there was lots of room to stand, and plenty of space to relax before the performers took to stage.
This time, those buying a ‘standard ticket’ - which by the way, cost us £90 each - were given the most pathetic view. It was so cramped and busy - the layout of the event was awful. No one with a standard ticket could get further than the camera podiums (which also took up the main view of stage), it’s sad the event is now like this - only people that want to spend £200+ for a ticket upgrade will get a better experience (and even then the view is limited). Just another scheme to get more money from the public.. what happened to one type of ticket, first come then first nearest the stage?! Keep it simple!
The performers were fantastic, but I’m sad to say I won’t be coming again because of the event structure itself (and I heard others saying this too). Far too busy and crowded - making it quite a stressful experience!
Also.. it was so busy that we decided to stock up and purchase more than one drink (x7 in total), to avoid traipsing back through the crowd and losing eachother let alone our underwhelming viewing spot. It wasn’t until after paying however, that the girl serving us said they had to opened due to H&S… seriously ?! I’m seeing Take That.. a 90s boyband.. do I look like the sort of person that’s going to use a full can of drink as a weapon?!? So silly! I then spilt most of my drinks on the way back through the crowd.. a waste of £55.

Although the acts for amazing and the atmosphere great this event did lack on organisation! There was not not enough signage which caused extensive confusion and elongated walks to entrance and exits.
Adding to this the stewards were unable to help with any general knowledge of the surrounding area and directions. If it wasn't for a passing Red Cross first aider who helped us with directions we would still be walking around Hyde Park now!!!

Attended the Take That event on the 1st July 2023 - arrived in good time and made our claim to a spot of grass off to the side of the stage - Will Young and Sugerbabes sound was perfect - but when The Script came on the sound became worse to the point that you could not hear when Danny was speaking to the crowd and what he was saying and his voice was drowned out by the base of the speakers when he was singing - and when Take That the main event and the reason I purchased tickets came on the stage the sound quality was much worse - you could not hear that band members talking to the crowd and when they were singing the sound quality was very poor - this event I felt was not immersive unless you were in the golden circle or VIP sections - which not all of us can stretch too in cost - this will be my first and last visit to a BST event as the sound quality ruined it for me - I go to a concert to hear the bands sing and play not the audience around me !! BST make sure those of us on the sides have the same quality of sound as those in the middle and in the VIP sections !

Was got tickets for Christmas, it was a long wait till June but more than worth it , was seated close enough to the stage , the head line act was guns and roses the support acts were as good ,staff were great we were near the vip bit and they need more money 💰 what ever they were on ,they dealt with one and all respectful, even the check in staff were wonderful and nothing seamed to much trouble, last I was greatly shocked at the high standards even in the loos, I've already started to drops for up comming gigs

All the acts were great - Take That and the Script. However, despite paying extra for VIP the queues for the ladies toilets were ridiculous! There seemed to be too many people in that area and no clear walkways as over crowded. Greedy organisers !

Lack of stewards at the event, no clear pathways to access toilets or facilities. Previously stewards have kept pathways clear which is safer for everyone. Doesn't bear thinking about if they'd been an incident, so hemmed in and unable to move.

The performers were brilliant. We have been 3 times over the years and previous experiences have been very good. I don’t know what’s happened this year. It was very overcrowded. So much so it ruined the experience. We were ion top of each other. You couldn’t get to a toilet the queues were ridiculous people were panicking and getting angry and women using the gents trough it got so bad. To get food you were gone fir so long in the queue. We spent more time queuing for loos and food than enjoying the performers. Everything was over priced. We left early and went for dinner in iVictoria. The venue needs to think about numbers as by ramming people in you ruin the experience. That’s the last time for us. Such a shame.

Agree with comments below re bags- so many with large bags being let in. Toilets terrible with horrendous queues for the ladies. Herded like cattle in there. No queues for the men’s as per usual. People searching bags have no manners and just rude. Couldn’t see a thing and sound was terrible where we were. Couldn’t hear anything Take That were saying. Expensive tickets for a bad experience. Over priced food too.