Garon Park Southend-On-Sea reviews by real event-goers

Review of South East Dance Festival 2023

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Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

There were loads of fights going on. Security were running all over the place but couldn't stop it. Then the Police were called but I had already left as I didn't want to be hit by flying chairs,cans of beer etc. Missed the last 40mins of UB40 due to this. Need more security & toilets.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Review of Garon Park

Attended ub40 at garon park. Ub40 came on last in the day. The wait was too long from 2pm the music was awful big gaps with no compare. Security was over the top on entry. But not inside. Not allowed a bottle of squash but inside many people were smoking drugs. Which was over whelming also the people doing this became angry and started fights. And just had no respect for others. The disabled area was over crowded and lots of people in there that should not have been. The 2 disabled toilets were full up early on. As they were being used by everyone. Very dissapointed. As been here a few times and had a good time in the past. Also no disabled toilets by main toilets. They need to have a radar key disabled toilet as people with disabilites that need to use them urgently will have a radar key.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Event was advertised as ub40 & bitty Maclean & ub40 played for a hour 930-1030

Review of Garon Park

Do like this venue have been for many events here being quite local to me. When I was at UB40 bank holiday 2023 I was very disappointed should be over 21 years for tickets cause a load of drunken teenagers falling and pushing into people. Heard the travellers was there but I didn’t see any trouble but the atmosphere was t like two years ago when I attended. Not worth the money screens around the stage not lit up would think twice before attending this venue over any upcoming bank holidays events

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Have been to numerous UB40 events, including 2 previous at this venue, but have to say that we were extremely disappointed this time and would not waste money to attend again.
It was a very long wait for UB40 to appear, previously the earlier acts have been good, however this year there were hours of someone singing badly over records. There was no compare which in previous years has built atmosphere and when UB40 did finally appear Ali Campbell did not interact with crowd at all, unlike previous years, and no sooner had they appeared than they had finished - barely an hour of concert!!
Food was of a poor quality & overpriced- £15 for a bit of rice and 2 pieces of bone with little chicken on it. Drinks expensive & queues long.
Lots of disturbances / fighting with lack of security to deal with it. The people causing trouble were allowed to stay. VIP area was constantly gate crashed, security simply ignored it.
All in all a very expensive day for nothing - never again!!!!

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Trouble, needed more security, VIP facilities were not VIP, not enough stalls, no merchandise stall, waited all day to see them not told prior to attending the time UB40 on stage. Only a short performance by them. Food and drink limited and extremely expensive for the venue, it’s not Wembley stadium. No disabled section within the VIP section for facilities.

Review of Garon Park

I've been to many gigs over at Garon's and this was by far the worse. Spent £154 on two VIP tickets. The atmosphere wasn't good the food, small box noodles £13. £6.50 for a can of larger. Absolutely disgraceful pricing after already paying £154. The VIP are a was rammed ended up walking stratight out. So many fights going on. Not enough security. Not much there either a fun fair and food places. No tents at all so if it rained you were in trouble. Then when Ali came on he didn't com eon for long. Came on at 9.15pm went off at 10.00pm then came back at 10.10pm for 10 minutes. Really not impressed at all. Will nto be going to anymore festivals over at Garon's. Cheaply put on and a rip off.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Ended up leaving early due to feeling unsafe with the type of people in attendance. Felt absolutely ripped of for both a drink as well as the below standard food. Too many drunk people and undesirables. Waste of money!

Review of South East Dance Festival 2023

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

As many people have said. On stage for just an hour 9-10pm .
Run out of beer and fight’s started.
Was really looking forward to this but came away feeling like was that it? A handful of songs. Disappointed 😔 is an understatement.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Ali Campbell was brilliant for what we got to hear, the venue was overrun with the traveller community and atmosphere uncomfortable and we felt intimidated!
Went to the same venue to see UB40 and Astro two years ago and it was a brilliant event chilled happy atmosphere which is why we returned with friends this time. Not enough security and hoards of drunken travellers creating such a bad atmosphere we upgraded to VIP only to discover they had gatecrashed the VIP area and with too few security couldn’t be stopped, security were run ragged at all the separate pockets of trouble. Long queues at the ladies not helped again by travellers jumping the queue! We decided to leave early and glad we did after seeing police with dogs at the gate and later heard reports of more violence. Would definitely see UB40 again but NEVER at this venue! £60 per head for feeling intimidated in Southend was a rip off and we will be looking for a refund!

Review of Garon Park

I felt that the drinks was very expensive. When you’re not allowed to bring in your own drinks or food, I think this was a shame. Apart from that, I thought the whole experience was fantastic. However, I felt that UB40 could’ve stayed longer on the stage. There were some songs that they didn’t sing which were old ones.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

UB40 didn’t come on till 9:15 and we’re on for about 1 hour 15 minutes absolutely disgraceful. The bar ran out of £6:50 beer, absolute joke. There were no late trains to get home, ended up having to wait and get a taxi for £75

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Advertised and priced as a UB40 feat Ali Campbell, they only played for just over an hour, poor! They were good but not long enough for the price. Bitty McLean was good too, but since it was advertised as UB40 there should not have been 5 hours of random guys singing over a DJ!
Caribbean food stall was overpriced and underdelivered, esp in regards to the quality of cut of meat and plain rice for £15, ridiculous, not a good representation of the cuisine associated with the culture of the festival! VIP area was poor for facilities as queued for 40mins for female toilets and overpriced drinks. The atmosphere of the festival was ruined by aggressive violent behaviour, and overly intoxicated morons. The event was under secured for the serious challenges they faced with patron. Some security did not do enough to secure the site and laughed and joked with aggressive festival goers instead of removing them.
This all had a negative effect on the event and I will not be returning.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Bill as UB40 featuring Ali Campbell
Who did not come on stage to 9am.
Crowd full of drunkards starting fights around children.
£6.50 for a can of lager, seriously??

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend