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

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

The music wasn’t load enough. Too many drunk people, not enough security and the food was rubbish.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Enjoyed the evening although I I thought UB40 could have stayed a on bit longer.felt sorry for the ladies que for the toilets,my bladder would have given out.very overpriced for bar etc.all in all though a good day.v.i.p area very good in that it was not packed.suprised at the ease to exit car park.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Not a good event. Too many fights going on in the crowd. Perpetrators should have been thrown out but weren't. Boring waiting all afternoon for UB40 to come on. Apart from Bitty Mclean support was just records being played. UB40 excellent but only played just short of 1 hour 10 mins. The amount of fold up chairs and picnic blankets in the arena was ridiculous. An accident waiting to happen. We came to watch live music not clamber over chairs and picnic blankets. Spoilt what should be a good evening. Wouldn't go again. Have been to many outdoor concerts and they were not like this. Lots of very young children in audience but didn't feel the event was suitable for them. Not a family friendly environment.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Second time at Southend . Reggae roast played for far too long and became boring after 2 hours . Ali as good as the 7 odd times we have seen them . Down side I don’t drink and far from boring but why do people get the tough man and woman image after a few drinks ? People just can’t behave and along with the numerous groups of travelers present it made for a frosty atmosphere . I’m a big guy but constantly looking around expecting trouble . We have decided this will be our last time to Southend for a gig .

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Seen UB40 3 times before, they were amazing, but the venue was poor, or should I say the security was poor. So many fights in the crowd which spoilt the evening. So much so we left after about 5 songs.. I think the venue was open to early. UB40 didn't come on until about 9pm. Was gutted because we was looking forward to a good evening..

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Waited 5 hours listening to a dj and 2 guys singing over and they were not great at that either! UB40 sounded great but not good at interacting with crowd.
Worse was queuing for hot drinks only to be told none available. Happened at 3 stalls.
Too many fairground rides not enough food/drink stalls to cope with numbers.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Really disappointed.
Hours listening to idiots trying to sing random reggae over a dj.
This is not what I consider to be a music festival
Only 2 hours tops of actual live music in 8 hours!!!
Ali didn't engage with the crowd.
I'm a regular at these local music festivals....I won't be back

Review of Garon Park

Went to see UB40, paid for VIP and the venue was awful. VIP area was packed and did not offer my idea of VIP, over 40 mins wait for toilets, fights and drunk people who were just looking for trouble, really spoilt the event. Also UB49 played for 1 hr at the end of the night, not enough for being billed as a UB40 event. Good over priced and not very good. Bar had no stock and advertised products they did not have, will not be returning to such an event. Security didn’t manage the trash better, just let them carry on fighting and left them on sight where children and people actually there to see the band were impacted! Very disappointed!

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Loved this event! Got my early bird tickets in January!!! First time to Garon Park, parked away from the event for ease for getting out later-went with a really good friend, cool security staff, we bought our chairs thank God useful for in between moments - Reggae Roast very entertaining, Bitty McClean was ok, DJ playing soul before the main act - a nice mix, UB40 ft Ali Campbell awesome! Would have loved to have heard Breakfast in Bed!! Well done would love to know about future music events , thanks Skiddle!

Review of Garon Park

Went to see UB40, paid for VIP and the venue was awful. VIP area was packed and did not offer my idea of VIP, over 40 mins wait for toilets, fights and drunk people who were just looking for trouble, really spoilt the event. Also UB49 played for 1 hr at the end of the night, not enough for being billed as a UB40 event. Good over priced and not very good. Bar had no stock and advertised products they did not have, will not be returning to such an event. Security didn’t manage the trash better, just let them carry on fighting and left them on sight where children and people actually there to see the band were impacted! Very disappointed!

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

The event was marketed as in a big top tent. I've been to this place before and said huge tent was in place. There a small shelter at the very back to the right behind the food outlets - all 11 of them. Which did not have a view of the stage. Needles to say it rained heavily followed hailstones. The event started at 2pm. The first artists, kind of rapped over other artists recordings for about 4 hours... overkill! There were two supports acts and a short UB40 set in an 8 hour period. These events usually have at least 5 bands. The tickets were around the same price as Forest Live, but their headlines played a full set. This didn't happen in Garons. Ali Campbell was on form, but he didn't address the audience at all.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

🥳🥳🥳

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

There was no merchandise to buy.
It was the same artist singing for hours before Ali Campbelll came in stage. Ali Campbell did not speak at all, not even thank you at the end!

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

The music was one of the best concerts I have been to, but the event was ruined by awful, rude, aggressive gypsies, who seem to great pleasure in taking advantage.

Disgusting behaviour and only very few challenge it for fear of reprisals.

It’s such a shame that the scum bags are growing in number. I wish they had just kept to selling clothes pegs and lucky heather in Basildon town centre.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Paid a premium for V.I.P. There was more vip tickets sold that the premium facilities were able to cope with. A 30min queue for the ladies toilets is not acceptable. There were only 8 cubicles when there should have been at least 20. There was no separate vip food stand and basically a poor set up for the price. The main event lasted just over the 1hr yet you had 2 guys over singing a DJ set for 3-4hrs. No large TV screens like there has been before so the people at the back will have seen even less for their money. An extremely poor event.

Review of Tropicana Nights Festival hosted by Pat Sharp

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Easy to get in, friendly security staff, although it was very busy the queues for the bar and toilets moved quickly. Garons is a great local venue, just wish UB40 played for longer.

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend

Too much to say ! Dreadful event

Review of UB40 featuring Ali Campbell at Garon Park Southend