The Oval (Hastings) Hastings reviews by real event-goers

Review of Boogie By The Sea

But some coordination required on what you can bring & the security personnel. My water bottle was taken away & when I went back for it at the end, it had been thrown away by the staff clearing away. Poor show. It doesn't take much to provide a table where people can collect they're possessions at the end....and the disability access needs proper coordination, again staff refusing exit or entry for disabled people with no visible disability. Equality training for staff is an absolute must. Happy to provide 😊

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Brilliant venue, atmosphere great, bar brilliant, food let it down, not enough food outlets for the crowd, 2 hour wait, if you can't bring your own in that's not ok

Review of Boogie By The Sea

The whole experience was amazing good sounds affects for all those on the stage Billy Ocean was amazing

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Billy Ocean fabulous as always. Sister Seldge brillant. Unfortunately the drink selection was abysmal. Ran out of Tonic before headliner came on. Wine was extortionate & horrible & by bottle only. Go for the music

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Lovely event- more food stalls needed and coffee/tea stands please

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Very disappointed with the VIP area too packed music started late price of drinks over the top toilet's were terrible would not recommend VIP tickets to anyone hole thing a bit of a ripoff

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Set times published 3 days before. First band on at 5 and last entry at 6.30! This was a Friday so completely unrealistic for those who have to travel. After complaints, increased last entry to 7.30. Huge queues to get in. Shortened sets to accommodate poor organisation and entrance queues. VIP queues not any faster and badly signposted. Last entry too early. Queues for food excessive. Overpriced wine.

Money making event with poor organisation. Customer experience was secondary.

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Nostalgic, Billy ocean was amazing

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Event started to early first band playing when most people were still standing in a massive queue trying to get in at the 1 entry point badly organised, food and drink prices were an absolute ripoff the bands / music were fine just not enough entry points and prices to expensive

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Review of Boogie By The Sea

A bigger and better event than I expected. Music superb, venue top notch, plenty of bar space, loads of toilets. Only issue was long queues for the food.

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Only criticism I have really is when we got there 5pmish the queuing system was abit chaotic and we had vip tickets and when I asked someone who hadn't any handset to communicate back where we should go and was told to join the queue when i thought it was meant to be fast track anyway eventually we were talking to some people and we got directed to correct queue alot of people said same thing about that but it was a good evening

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Review of Boogie By The Sea

Too many queues

Review of Boogie By The Sea

The evening was great and the music was amazing and hope that the 2025 event will be as good. However just a few things that could have spoilt the evening.
With my friends we paid for VIP tickets which I think was an extra £30 from the other entrance tickets.
When 2 of us from our group arrived there was an incredibly long queue. Fortunately there was someone wearing a high viz jacket and I asked him if he knew about a VIP entrance. He told me to walk to the right of the very long queue. Wonderful we were in the ground within 5 minutes, and given a wristband. Excellent.

At first it was difficult to see the VIP area but having found it we entered ready to find a good spot in front of the stage. Not to be. Even though the ticket details said access to front of stage, 1 hour after the gates opened there was no room in front of the stage. We set up a positions quite a way to the left of the stage. Ok for most of the time but sometimes the sound was not good and it was not really easy to properly see the acts. There were separate toilet facilities where on the very few occasions a queue did appear. Unfortunately most of the time the toilets were not flushing - embarrassing for the next occupier. There was also our own bar which was very well manned.

About a third of the of the way through the evening 2 of my friends went in search of the food offerings. They fortunately text to say as there was a 1 1/2 wait for food should they get food for the 2 of us still guarding our belongings. Thank goodness they did. 1 1/2 hours turned into 2 hours and many of the options requested had been sold out.

Suggestion for improvement: more food options and for the number of people definitely lots more. Alternatively an event of us buying food and drinks in the venue of why not arrive earlier with your own picnic?

During the course of the evening there were a large number of people without wristbands ( so had not paid for VIP tickets) entering and staying in that area.

When we left it we were herded like cattle. There are steps and rails to navigate in the dark and with some very worse for wear people. We were very lucky that nobody in front or behind fell over as I dread to think what the consequences of that would have been.

Suggestion: would it not be possible for a number of different exits to be allowed so that the thousands of people there are not all going the same way - to ease the exit and it would become far less dangerous?

In spite of all of the above unfortunate negatives I have already signed up for 2025 and more friends will be joining me.

Thank you organisers for a great evening