Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks Live’s Opening event took place in Manchester Arena last night and we were lucky enough to be there. We felt the rumble hit the floor at 6.30pm and heard the roar from the gigantic Monster Trucks that were competing for a championship cup! We have been desperate to see a Monster Truck Event in the UK. We often follow events taking place in the USA and watch them when we can on TV, but we have never seen them live, due to the fact that most of these great shows take place across the pond in America. So thank goodness for Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks Live, who have finally taken the leap to show us these amazing beasts up close on our own turf in Britain!
We start off our review with a bit of background on Hot Wheels® and then we will fill you in on what we thought of this epic event. We will also give you some tips and list off some need to knows. Below you will also be able to see how to book tickets to go and see your very own Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks Live show at a destination near to you.
About Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks
Hot Wheels® is an iconic brand and fills around three toy drawers in our house. They have car track where you can make loops and have amazing races. But not only do they create a whole range of track and cars, they have also now branched out to Monster Trucks. A few years back Hot Wheels® produced Monster Trucks for Monster Jam (which we also have a huge collection of), but they have now branched out on a solo venture creating their very own league of Monster Trucks and to match Monster Jam they have their very own Monster Truck event, which as you know is going Live around Europe over the next few months.
What we thought of the Event
Right from the get-go you could feel how family-oriented this event is. Sat close to us was a dad and his young son and behind us, another Dad and his five-year-old. Below us was a couple, and further up another family much like ours with mum, dad and kids. You are introduced to the show by Freddie Sheppard (see photo of my kids with him above) who has travelled with the motorsport athletes all the way from the USA. He instantly involved the audience in what was about to take place, ready to focus everyone’s attention on the six (or 71 as my five-year-old counted!) MONSTER Trucks that get geared up in preparation for the start their colossal competition.
The Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks are iconic in design and are all real-life trucks and also toy trucks, so the fun of the event can carry on at home. On the night we were introduced to each of the athletes and which of the trucks they were driving. On the night some of the drivers included Derick Anson in Demo Derby, Darron Schnell in Bigfoot and his wife (as the first female Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks driver) Rebecca Schnell in HotWheels Racing #1, Rick Steffans in TigerShark, and the remaining trucks were, Bone Shaker and V8 Bomber.
Our favourites on the night were BigFoot, and TigerShark! But we did also all have a soft spot for Demo Derby, whose paint job was amazing. It was covered in graffiti art which gave it a slightly ratted look. But the excitement doesn’t end with just Monster Trucks, on the night you are also privy to Freestyle Motor Cross. These FMX stars, treat you to amazing loops and showcase their skills. You sit watching from the edge of your seat, as they carry out their death-defying stunts and the crowds fill the venue with cheers almost as load as the monster trucks.
When looking around all we could see was a sea of smiles. All the youngsters watching the event were dancing, cheering, and were fully immersed in each of the challenges that the Drivers’ faced. The adrenaline that you feel from the rumble of the trucks is indescribable, and the daring stunts carried out by the FMX stars is great for any adrenaline junkie wanting an alternative family night out. We would totally recommend going to this fun-fuelled event, and with the cheapest tickets matching the price of any football match nowadays, you can be sure for a different kind of sporting event.
What my Kids thought
My five-year-old’s review of the night – written by him – they were cool and fast! (I added in the exclamation mark! ha)
My ten-year-old daughter said it was fantastic, and her favourite bit was seeing the Trucks doing their freestyle competition – which is where the trucks basically showcase their best skills.
My eight-year-old was taken with the bikes, but today has used some of his Christmas money to buy two Hot Wheels trucks already!
So as you can see it really was a whole family pleaser! And an event we won’t forget anytime soon! See below on where to get tickets and tips on what to do before the show.
Here are the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live 2020 European Tour Dates:
January 2020
Fri 10 Lodz, Poland Atlas Arena
Sat 11 Lodz, Poland Atlas Arena**
Sun 12 Lodz, Poland Atlas Arena**
Fri 31 Birmingham, UK Birmingham Arena
February 2020
Sat 01 Birmingham, UK Birmingham Arena**
Sun 02 Birmingham, UK Birmingham Arena
Fri 07 Glasgow, UK The SSE Hydro
Sat 08 Glasgow, UK The SSE Hydro**
Cost and where to buy tickets
General tickets are priced between £29-£47 depending on where you are sitting, we were positioned quite close to the front, however, you have great visibility from higher up in the arena. VIP tickets (which include the Cash Zone Pre-Show Party) cost £130 per ticket – these also include front row seats, as well as all the added extras you can read about below.
Get your tickets here – where you need to select your date and event location, then you will be taken to the correct ticketmaster screen where you can select your ticket options.
Added Extras on the night
Crash Zone Pre-show Party is available within the VIP ticket package. You will be able to enter the crash zone where the drivers show off their skills in the base of the arena and get autographs from the drivers, win some Hot Wheels giveaways and find out some trivia, you will also have access to a Hot Wheels play zone where you can test out toy monster trucks and your skills on the play zone tracks.
Tips
* We took our own sweets to the event that were easily placed in pockets and in the small bag I had. This meant we only bought water inside
* We would also recommend ear defenders, they can be bought at the venue, although we took our own along with us as we have already attended motorsport events where they are essential. Having said this the arena is big enough to carry the noise and a few children close by didn’t have ear defenders and weren’t overly affected by the loudness of the trucks, but ours are so used to having them – they wore theirs throughout.
* We also used the nearby facilities at The Printworks where there are several restaurants to eat before the show. We chose Wasabi a Japanese eatery, but there is also Nandos (spicey Chicken), O’Neils Irish style Pub, and Tiger Tiger. Also across from this there is The Corn Exchange where you can also find a few other restaurants including Pizza Express.
* You can either drive to the Manchester Arena and we found a car park across the road for £3 which in the centre of Manchester is hard to find. But there is also parking at The Printworks and The Arndale Centre.
* If you want to catch the train you can do so. The closest station to the venue is Victoria Station, which connects to Piccadilly and also several tram stops.
Here is a short youtube video of what we saw at the Manchester’s Hot Wheels Monster Truck Live, enjoy.
About Manchester Arena
* You will need your tickets ready in order to enter the Manchester Arena due to strict security measures that are in place.
* No large bags i.e. rucksacks are allowed into the Manchester Arena – the biggest bags are small handbags.
* All drinks need to be purchased inside and normally are not allowed to be brought in from outside the venue.
* You can purchase drinks, savoury and sweet snacks inside – they are at an elevated price but not so much so that it isn’t feasible.
* Check their website for more update information – https://www.manchester-arena.com
About Live Nation Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship.
About Mattel
Hot Wheels® is one of the franchise companies part of the Mattel family who are well known for their creations in the toy industry . Other iconic brands include Barbie®, American Girl®, Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends® and MEGA®.It was founded back in 1945. So has probably been in your families for the last three to four generations – to find out more visit them online at www.mattel.com.
Review by: Lex Ward
You may want to read this:
Family Day Out at Play Factore in Manchester
Family Day Out at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester
Family Day Out at Warwick Castle – including The Falconer’s Quest live show
Photo Credit: Hot Wheels / Live Nation UK
*Disclaimer: We were provided with free entry passes to watch the show in return for a review. All opinions are our own.
21 comments
This looks like so much fun. I never been to one will love to go.
Check out where they are headed to next Melody and you can head there
omg this must have been soooo exciting to watch!!! I Would love to watch it one day, just amazing.
It certainly was as this is the first time they have come to Manchester so we all were very excited
I want to take my daughter to see something like this soon. Which reminds me , I need to get her some ear muffs.
Hope you get the chance soon Ashley and yes having the ear defenders for the children
I saw a monster truck during my American road trip in Arizona and fall in love with this vehicle. To be able to see how these monster trucks perform really is a dream come true.
They are just super huge and the sound they emit is just wonderful, my kids were totally spell-bound by it
My kids love Hot Wheels! This event seems like a lot of fun. I hope I can take my kids to watch this amazing show! Hope they come to my city soon.
They are touring Norma, so fingers crossed. At the moment it is Europe
What a great review! These Monster truck shows come to my city from time to time and I think I will make a point of going next time. Sounds like a whole lotta fun!
Yes it was indeed, we enjoyed ourselves very much
That looks like a heck of a good time. I’ve never seen monster trucks live but I’ve always wanted to
We sure did have a fantastic time Amber, hope you get the chance to see it live too
That must have been such a fun event to watch. Those monster trucks are amazing. The people who drive these trucks are unbelievable!
It certainly was Eileen, my whole family had such a wonderful evening
How long was the show? Estimated end time would be helpful for my travel plans.
Hi Matthew, different places have different timings and duration, best to check their website directly
I’ve already sent a message to the hot wheels monster trucks live website in the US, but l haven’t had a reply. I might try contacting the venue.
Also, is every day basically the same show, or are there different rounds of of competition on different days?
I’ve already sent a message to the hot wheels monster trucks live website in the US, but l haven’t had a reply. I might try contacting the venue.
Also, is every day basically the same show, or are there different rounds of competition on different days?
Hi Matthew, we won’t be hosting any more giveaways. I would suggest contacting Live Nation at https://www.livenation.co.uk – they may be able to help you on your questions