OREANDA-NEWS. The SSE Hydro has been named as one of the world's top entertainment venues, beating Madison Square Garden in New York.

The Glasgow landmark was ranked fourth in Pollstar's top 100 worldwide arena venues. The list is based on the arena's ticket sales.

Since opening its doors in September 2013, The SSE Hydro has hosted 61 shows, including Justin Timberlake, Rod Stewart and Beyonce, welcoming over 600,000 fans.

The O2 in London topped the list with the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester and Lanxess Arena in Germany securing the second and third spots. Madison Square Garden was ranked 12th.

Wendy Barbour, SSE Director of Sponsorship and Commonwealth Games, said: "The sponsorship of The SSE Hydro has been one of our highest profile projects to date and so to gain this kind of recognition within the first year of the venue's opening is both significant and impressive.

“I'm very proud of the team and the work they have put into this bold project which gives us brilliant benefits for our customers. It puts SSE well and truly on the global map and to place higher than such a respected venue as Madison Square Garden is a fantastic achievement."

John Langford, director of Concerts and Events at the SECC, added: "To have reached the position of number four on the Pollstar ranking so soon after opening is great news for the SECC and Glasgow. But we could never have done it without the legendary Glasgow audiences!”

The SSE Hydro has become a key destination for major arena tours and will host shows by acts including Eric Clapton and Lady Gaga later this year.

SSE's 10-year investment and sponsorship of The SSE Hydro was announced in 2011 and has helped propel the venue onto the world stage.

The partnership enables SSE to offer its customers pre-sale access to tickets up to 48 hours in advance of general sale as well as selected upgrades to exclusive lounge access or parking, as customer rewards via its ssereward.com platform.