Review of 'Giants Live - World Tour Finals (2026)'

https://giants-live.com/shows/the-world-tour-finals-2026/

We so much enjoyed “The World Tour Finals” event last year (see my review here) we decided to return again to the wonderful Ovo in Glasgow to experience it again. As with most things, the tickets for the same part of the arena we booked last year were more expensive this year but we managed to get into the back row of the section (row D, section 205), against a wall which was actually a lot better as it meant we did not have to worry about blocking the view of anyone behind when we stood up or waved our arms around in a silly fashion. It also had the added benefit, just as last year, of having a great view of ALL of the action on the floor below.

We arrived quite early, mostly to ensure we had no problems in the nearby multi-story car park – Yes, it was not a problem and the same deal as last year: A fixed rate for the evening (and getting out after the event turned out to be just as easy). For the 5 pm show the doors opened at 3:30 pm with the security and ticket scanning going very quickly. The food and drink, as always, is quite overpriced but this was to be expected. It was nice to see there were places to fill our water bottles though which lessened the expense a bit for what would be a long evening.

Unlike last year, we knew most of the athletes competing this year including favourites, the Stoltman brothers Tom and Luke. Luke last year cheered from the side-lines but decided to compete this year though struggled having broken his leg earlier this year. Younger brother and three-time World's Strongest Man Tom had to withdraw from the competition after only two events. So, general disappointment for the brothers. Defending champion Luke Richardson put in a personal best at the log lift (200 kg) but ultimately placed 7th. It was great to see the ever-populate, high energy Evans Nana from Ghana but he also ultimately disappointed. Also here was Evan Singleton (“The T-Rex”) from the United States who seems to have toned down his ex-wrestler persona a bit to become quite a good and gracious athlete - A bit more humility and a toned down anger though he still uses this to push himself.

As last year, we started with the headline “SBD World Log Lift Challenge” with a starting weight of 170 kg. With the list of athletes there was much anticipation that they would be able to best the world record of 227 kg but this was not to be with the two men remaining after 210 kg, England’s Jack Forgacs and Czechia's Ondrej Fojtu, failing to lift 232 kg. There were no guest competitors for this year's event.

Next up was the “MIRAFIT Deadlift Ladder” which saw the athletes attempting to deadlift four weights, 330 kg, 360 kg, 380 kg and 400 kg laid across the 10 meter event space in under 60 seconds. Three completed side by side but only two athletes managed to lift all four in the time limit: Ondrej Fojtu and England's Andrew Flynn.

Next was the “COMMA OILS Farmer's Walk Into Yoke Carry” where the athletes had to first carry a 150 kg log in each hand across the floor then return carrying a (super) yoke of 1000 lb consisting of two huge metal boxes with a time limit of 60 seconds. All but two of the competitors completed the event with Ukraine's Pavlo Kordiyaka winning.

Another hyped event for the evening was the truly brutal “IRONRHINO Hercules Hold” which has the competitors standing in the middle of two 200 kg pillars and hold them upright via a metal handle and chain. The longest time wins the event. We were so excited to see the return of retired 60-year old Mark Felix from England who performed as a guest here and already held the record of 1:32:37 from Europe's Strongest Man in 2020. Well, here in Glasgow he did not disappoint to the delight of the crowd as he did even better with an incredible time of 1:43.81 but only after Australia's Eddie Williams thrilled the crowd by first breaking the record with 1:34:50. The ever modest Felix was ever modest when the hosts talked to him, endearing him to the adoring audience.

The final event took place quite late at about 9 pm and was not the Atlas Stones but the “Castle Water Power Stairs” where they have to lift five increasingly heavy weights - 200 kg, 210 kg, 225 kg, 240 kg, and 250 kg - up three steps. This is truly nasty with even the stage crew struggling to move the weights into position between competitors. At this point Ondrej Fojtu had pretty much wrapped up the top position on the podium but still put on a great show and placed first with a time of 44:06 for all five weights. Four of the competitors were unable to complete the challenge, by now completely shattered from the exertions of the evening.

So, after the long event Ondrej Fojtu ended up in 1st with 51.5 points, fellow Czechian Matyas Funiok in 2nd with 45.5 points followed by a disappointed Andrew Flynn in 3rd at 37 points. All three qualify for a place in the WSM final. This was a night for Czechia who put on a strong and, most importantly, consistent performance which the crowd appreciated…though there was ultimately a lot of disappointment for the British crowd with only a single local athlete on the podium, and more importantly for the Glasgow crowd, no Scot.

Another enjoyable and drama-filled competition in the OVO that was a lot of fun to watch over the five hours we were there - Yeah it was quite long and we were very tired by the end (of course, the same could be said of the competitors!). We are not sure about next year, but we may very well be back.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2026-10-17

Location: Glasgow (Scotland)

Address: Exhibition Way, Stobcross Rd, Glasgow G3 8YW SCOTLAND

Telephone: +44 (0) 141 248 3000

URL: https://www.ovohydro.com/

The largest arena in Scotland (12,000+ seats) and consistently ranked among the top 10 arenas worldwide, the “Ovo Hydro” is located on the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, slightly west of the city centre on the north bank of the River Clyde. It hosts a range of events including concerts, sporting events and entertainment shows. The arena space itself feels quite intimate and has great sight lines to the arena stage/floor. Even the worst tickets are not that high up with the designers instead opting for a more spread-out layout.

Transport options are excellent, being so close to the city centre and there is a large multi-story car park just across the street (accessed via a walkway) that offers “on the night” event parking at a reasonable rate (no pre-booking, but lots of spaces and it clears very quickly).

Dining options are not terribly varied and, as you would expect, quite expensive but the food is quite tasty and prepared with a bit of care. The staff are also on the whole quite friendly and relaxed.