Came here specifically to see Wild Kratts Live with the kiddos. Pretty standard set up. Nothing bad, nothing amazing. Concessions were pretty basic. Parking lot next door was full but found street parking not too far away. Staff helped us found our seats. Again, not too much to write about but worked for what we needed. read more

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It seems impossible that I was originally against building this event centre in the core of the city but I'm more than willing to admit how wrong I was. Bud Gardens is clearly the heart and meeting place of the city. Between Knights games. Lightning, concerts and other special events rarely a week goes by that I don't end up here. It's a solid venue and the staff are mostly friendly and helpful. the food and beers may be a bit on the pricey side but what do you expect at an event venue. While it may likely always be the JLC to me - this Buds for you. Well ... for all of us. read more

Budweiser Gardens - Music Venues Near Me - London, Ontario

I've been to Bud Gardens for concerts, games, and special events. From How to Train Your Dragon, the London Knights, to Tiesto and Monster Jam, I'm happy to have a venue this large in London! We get a lot of great talent coming through this city. Whether I'm sitting way up in the top, or on the floor, this arena is small enough that no location is too far from the action, but big enough that it feels substantial. I've watched games in the boxes which are very comfortable. They have TV's, a few tables, and a few rows of seats. The service is always amazing. I would recommend remembering what box you are in before you head to the washroom. I DEFINITELY did NOT go from box to box trying to find which one was mine....nope I did not. I never find there is a line up for the washroom, at least when I have gone. But to be fair, it's mostly during sports games where there are more men than women. Either way they are always clean. I WISH they had a bit more selection at the concession stand. They have Reese's Pieces and Milk Duds. I'd love or a bit more to choose from. Prices are fairly typical. You can get poutine, popcorn, nachos, pizza and hot dogs. I don't know too many Londoners who haven't been to Bud Gardens, but if you haven't, I would suggest checking out a game. Knights and London lightning tickets are inexpensive for a fun night out! read more

Budweiser Gardens - Music Venues Near Me - London, Ontario

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Say it with me now... JLC, JLC... The name change has always bothered me. I mean John Labatt has history in this city so yeah, you can call it what you want but it will remain that to me. At any rate for the longest time we haven't had the greatest venues for large arena style concerts and productions. When I was little I remember having to go to London Gardens to see Alice Cooper... okay, that dates me but it was crap for concerts and I longed for something like this as I had to travel to see any real names. The venue has now seen the likes of tons of greats (Cher, Bowie, Neil Diamond, Green Day, Def Leppard etc etc) and tons of not so greats (I'm looking at you Metro Station... *shivers*) anyhow that's rather subjective anyways. The point is the arena is a big draw not just for knights games but basketball games, broadway productions, concerts etc. and it does not disappoint. There is always something going on here for all walks of life. Tonight I had the pleasure of revisiting it for Hedley and I remember why I like it so. Okay the Tiki Bar that serves smoothies has a lot to do with it (with or without alcohol), and the fact that I have the best bathrooms stalked out. When you are a girl at a crowded show you need to know which ones get bogged down or run out of tissue first and which ones always seem to be good to go. But the main thing is the acoustics. They are great whether back of the house nosebleeds or front row. I will say that there is a strange sound thing that does occasionally happen at the back of the floor when full arena shows are going on. But aside from that you can sit in good ole 303, or 106 or Floor 3, Row A and still hear the show amazingly. The con which almost gets it knocked down. Dasani water. I just want normal bottled water people!!! Oh well, I just had a smoothie instead and got over it ;) read more

Budweiser Gardens - Gate 1, box office and main entry - Music Venues Near Me - London, Ontario

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I wish to acknowlege the outstanding Customer Service by Budweiser Supervisor Debbie and the seating escort Robyn. I witnessed efficent team work to accommodate my friend and I to a safer seating area to watch the performance. Thank you ladies for taking wonderful care of us! read more

I have been to Budweiser Gardens several times for various concerts. I've seen The Goo Goo Dolls here twice, also the Dixie Chicks and just recently Il Divo. This venue has always been a great venue to see concerts, I had even come out to London before I even lived here for a concert (at the time it was formally known as The John Labatt Centre). I think it's one of the larger venues in this city, and living downtown, a quick 15 minute walk from my place. Last night, Il Divo had their Amor and Passion 2016 tour stop here and I surprised my boyfriend by taking him, he loves Il Divo and I thought a surprise would be nice! I ordered the tickets the day before and they were ready at Will Call/The Box Office when I came to pick them up the next day. Very easy to order, and although where our seats were, the cheapest tickets were $71.50, plus a $10.50 convenience fee, the seats were not that bad. We had seats in section 310, way way way way up near the back. It was the RBC Theatre that hosted this event, so it wasn't the entire theatre, I would assume they used 1/3 of the space. I would have given the venue 4 stars, but the fact that I had to pay $23 for two drinks was absolutely absurd. All the merchandise, food and drink in this venue is super expensive. All in all for about 4 drinks (2 beers, a cider and a bottle of water) I think we ended up paying $40. Which is way too expensive. I understand making a profit, but this was way too much. I definitely enjoyed this venue, the seating wasn't bad and the sound and music was very enjoyable. The price could be a bit cheaper, but for once in a while, and the location of this venue, it's a great place to come to enjoy what it has to offer. read more

Budweiser Gardens - Il Divo - Amor and Passion Tour 2016 - Music Venues Near Me - London, Ontario

I will start off by saying I really enjoy going to sporting events and Broadway in London events at Budweiser Gardens. There really isn't a bad seat in the arena when it comes to watching the Knights. The fans are great and so dedicated! That being said I do not like this place for concerts. The sound system has been "messed up" for lack of a technical term on more than one occasion. Meaning you could barely hear the band/performer because everything else was too loud. Not to mention you're not allowed to have fun. On more than one occasion I have been told to sit down (despite others around me standing) and stare blankly at the act I'm there to see. I'm definitely someone who enjoys a good concert, but don't get too excited, you might get in trouble. Beer is expensive and the concessions don't take electronic payments so you should definitely hit up your bank before coming to avoid the service charges at the ATMs. The bottomless popcorn is also one of the only "deals" you can get. Unlimited popcorn is awesome. They also have a delicious Poutine from one of the concessions on the first level! I very rarely go to Budweiser Gardens anymore solely based on the fact that they don't book anything I would pay to see. read more

the night I almost died coming home from London to Toronto. only been here once and it was a good time, SLAYER'S last show in London Ontario Canada, and it was on a holiday no less. before I even entered the building, I just want to give some background on this story. I asked/email permission to bring my camera(point and shoot) into the building which was met with some extremely short emails. first I was told that my camera wasn't allowed in the building and to "not bring it to the venue as I would be denied access" then photos around social media came up and said "point and shoot cameras were allowed" when I checked in with the customer service rep, she was unsure and told me to take my chances, I told her I would be emailing her the day after the event. getting to this venue was an absolute nightmare, as a lot of the roads in the downtown core were completely closed for construction and ribfest was going as well. ended up parking like 15 minutes away from the venue as that was the closest location possible. we get to the venue and were in line for security, I was told that my camera was allowed but my glowsticks were denied after security going back and forth on the subject which was absolutely hilarious in my mind. I got into the venue and the floor section was pretty awesome, didn't even get filled up by the end of the night. a bonus thing was that the venue wasn't sold out, so everyone in the upper levels got free upgrades to the lower bowl, which again was nice. the bands put on a hell of a performance all night, and the staff were really nice. this venue had to have been renovated recently as everything within the building was spotless including the bathrooms. I don't know if I will ever be back, but it was a great experience, minus coming home. I got nailed with a torrential downpour of rain from Woodstock to Cambridge and it was super scary! not sure about transit options, but there is a lot of parking on site and in the neighborhood of the venue. read more

Went to the bull riding last night at Bud Gardens and I have no idea if it was any good or not. I purchased my tickets back in December in order to get great seats. I paid over $225 for two tickets. Our seats were terrible. We were at the very opposite end of the arena to all of the action. I believed that by ordering tickets early and paying top dollar that I would get great seats but I was totally wrong. Budweiser Gardens is definitely not interested I customer satisfaction. read more

Six years and a name change later, this Bud's for you. Haha...ha? I had to do it, even though it's still the JLC to me. Still a rock solid venue. Acoustics good. Sight lines good. The only annoying thing is how bright the "Bud" red is as their signage is all around. Yes, the point but it's like in yo'face, Labatt! read more

Budweiser Gardens - Music Venues Near Me - London, Ontario

Amazing experience at the Smashing Pumpkins concert. My only complaint is the seriously overpriced drinks and the fact they won't let you go outside for anything once your on the building. Delt with a very rude staff member. read more

Went to Budweiser Gardens to see Johnny Reid. Easy to order tickets. Easy to get in, no long line ups. Ate at one if their kiosks called Wich is Wich. Very good sandwiches but $25.00 later... Yikes. Had great seats and what an amazing concert. The sound was amazing and lighting was beautiful . Had a great night. read more

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Bud G, you've gone too far. It was bad when you wouldn't let us stand and dance at a *rock concert*. The no in-out policy is an unnecessary restriction. Closing the concession stands well before the end of events is just mystifying. But an incident at Smashing Pumpkins set a new low. The attendant approached us to ask if we purchased our glow items at *their* concession stand. When we confirmed that we didn't, she asked us to turn them off because "the band" didn't want glow sticks (she was very polite about it). Huh? Only two options here: either their concession stand doesn't sell glow paraphernalia in which case the question was a ruse to approach us, or else they do so they don't want guests bringing in their own. Either way, "the band" is a superfluous element. If "the band" doesn't want light-up party favours, then presumably Bud G wouldn't have had them on sale for this event, non? One would be tempted to conclude that the administration has forgotten that people paid money for tickets AND for the service fees AND delivery fees in some cases. The administration would do well to be reminded that docile concert goers who don't dance, don't cheer, and don't immerse themselves in the experience are unlikely to make for a memorable evening for the performer. When rock bands are deciding on tour dates, I seriously doubt that they tell their management that they want to go back to places where everyone was subdued, remained seated and clapped mutedly. I accept that venues will nickel-and-dime guests, and will enforce policies intended to ensure that nothing bad ever happens to anyone at any time. I'm not prepared to accept that I can't get my glow on with safe, non-intrusive items that were not specifically excluded via the terms of the ticket purchase, and which Bud G's own security staff handled as we went through a metal detector and had our bags searched. If Billy Corgan could see me glowing at the distance that I was from the stage then I want the name of his optometrist. read more

I'm at the London Lightning games every single night, and there isn't a better facility to catch a game! Every seat in the house is a good seat, and the court is visible from the lower bowl all the way to the top row of the third level! Plus, it's always clean, so you can't go wrong with that. Staff are friendly and assertive, making things a little bit easier if you wander off and get yourself lost. Prices for tickets are more than reasonable, and the games bring in a great crowd each night! Get your popcorn ready, and c'mon down to catch a Lightning basketball game! You won't be disappointed. read more

Last night we watched a performance of "Cats" as part of the John Labatt Centre's "Broadway in London" season. I have to say, that this venue is unequivocally the WORST venue that I have ever attended to see live theatre let alone a broadway production. To begin my rant, let me begin by saying that we watched "Rent" a couple of seasons back at the same venue, and the experience was truly awful, but I couldn't put my finger on the actual reason why. I put it down to the show itself not being particularly good or even not being my 'cup of tea'. Well, last night I confirmed it was neither. This is foremost a hockey arena. It feels like a hockey arena, it sounds like a hockey arena. It is cold and has uncomfortable seats. The food selection is, well, somewhat of a cliche when it comes to events in London - Pizza, Hot Dogs, potato chips - you get the idea. But, even these qualities - or lack thereof come in as distant runners-up to the biggest problem of all. The acoustics are abysmal. There is no orchestra. Instead, what the patron gets to hear is the soundtrack being played back through the audio system on what could conceivably be an Mp3 player. The remaining muffled sounds are then drowned out by the industrial-sized fans in the arena's air-conditioning system. I have watched live rock music performances in the past and the listener can be less critical about the acoustics - after all, we all know our favourite artists' songs right? So the sound probably doesn't get scrutinized. But when you are listening to the dialog and tunes of a world-famous Broadway show for the first time, then there is no question the JLC falls flat. Well-known showtunes sung by the entire cast become a cacophany of blurred voices reverberating around the ceiling. It is such a pity that many people - some of which are attending a show for the first time, could be deterred from ever attending again. Instead of drawing the audience to the stage, the arenas' lack of acoustics, it's uncomfortable seating and cold atomosphere put up an incredible barrier between the cast and the audience. I could not recommend this venue for theatre any less. For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Grand Theatre in London does not play host to these Broadway shows - capacity wouldn't appear to be an issue, and that is very much a theatre - with theatre seating, ambient temperatures an orchestral stall and good acoustics. read more

I was at the basketball game tonight. The London Lightning is one exciting team to watch in the NBL. There isn't a bad seat anywhere in the arena. If you're looking to do something like the family or with a group of good friends, then watching a basketball game here will do the trick. If basketball doesn't do it for you, the London Knights might do it for you if you like hockey, or even the numerous concerts they host here as well. I was lucky to get tickets out of the blue. But if you're going to get tickets i suggest to get them ahead of time. It makes life easier in that way. read more

Budweiser Gardens is great for entertainment and sports. Always exceptional staff, food is always good, and very easy to get around the building. read more

I'm not sure what Londoner's ever did without the presence of the JLC in the downtown core. Oh wait that's right Jennifer already mentioned that as performers would just speed right past us on the 401! I've been to the here for concerts, knights games, and recently even an NHL game! Which would never have come to London if not for the JLC. The place seats approximately 10,000 people give or take when seating is taken up for a stage or what have you. Always pretty packed for hockey games so I suggest getting your tickets in advance. There are no "nose-bleed" seats here as it is a relatively small and intimate place compared to bigger stadiums/arenas like the Rogers Centre, and Air Canada Centre, but for something like a Jay-Z concert or NHL hockey game it couldn't get any better for the price you pay to sit in the upper bowl, it's literally like sitting at the 200 level at the Rogers Centre. The only gripe I have with the JLC are the food and alcohol prices, The exact same as going to an event in the big city aka Toronto, $10 beers and the food is no better. And you would think with the Labatt plant being in London and the place being called the John Labatt Centre, they would give us Londoner's a break and offer cheaper beer prices, but nooo. Anyways I'm also really happy that we have the JLC here now, and hopefully many more great events and performances to come! read more

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You can not buy tickets for a legitimate concert at this venue. Good luck trying to sit on hold or get a spinning icon online. Checked facebok site to see if there was any info and tons of comments and questions from people experiencing the same thing I was. Terrible experience. If you can't handle the volume don't bring in the event. I sat waiting to pay for 3 hours and then it shut down. How does that even make sense. Terrible site... terrible service. Will never consider attending an event at this venue again. If its that tough to buy tickets and don't have the capacity for that what is the event going to be like? Terrible service. read more

I went to see How to train your Dragon, simply amazing, beautiful show. My advice Do not spend more money for the premium seats at the restaurant, unless you are taking a person with special needs or don't like eternal line ups for washrooms, the P1 seats are better, in my case, I was pretty far from the stage, and even people that pay half of what I spent got a better view of the dragons and the cast. not worth it. I called to ask about it before I got my tickets and the person didn't help much. Just because of that my rating is low, other than that, nice place, friendly staff!!! read more