A full house welcomed former US President Barack Hussein Obama to the OVO Hydro Glasgow tonight, arriving on stage to a standing ovation.
After an introductory video of an Obama speech, award-winning British journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera opened by asking whether Barack had sampled any of these fine Scottish delicacies: a square sausage roll, a pizza crunch, or an Irn-Bru. Barack knew the drink well and admitted he liked it. "So there are some orange things you like," quipped Sathnam. The joke got a laugh, as we understood the Trumpian subtext, but in a place like Glasgow, it could have been misconstrued.
Barack discussed how he got involved in politics. His story began at college. Two young men from the African National Congress came to speak, and he was struck by their approach: taking time to talk to individuals and explain their views. They helped him realise that he, too, could make a difference on a social level. So he went back to uni, got his law degree, and realised the biggest changes could be effected from within government, so he ran for office.
Social media played a big part in him becoming President. MySpace gave him a forum to share his beliefs and intentions, and Meetup helped bring like-minded individuals together to support his campaign. From these small grassroots gatherings, a movement began. He credited one supporter with coming up with the slogan, "Fired Up! Ready To Go!" which carried him into the White House.
He admits that while he used social media as a force for good, hate groups now use the forum to organise and recruit, made easier by the social media companies themselves, who are driven by commercial motivations. With the rise of AI, finding out what is real and true will only get harder. He believes the world needs global checks on the technology and is working to bring about those changes.
Now that he has left politics, he remains active beyond the golf course, having set up The Obama Foundation Leaders Program, which operates worldwide and builds young people's communication skills to help them make the world better. He firmly believes 'old men' should step aside and let these young leaders drive change for a better future for everyone, whether it be climate change, world hunger, equality, or fighting for democracy by opposing authoritarianism. He also opened a production company, Higher Ground Productions, because he believes in the power of stories to effect change.
One of the greatest challenges he faced as President was staying connected to the people, so every night he asked his staffers to include ten letters from members of the public in his briefing pack. They didn't cherry-pick, so he got a broader picture of what was going on.
He still believes the best tool we have to unite everyone in the fight to save democracy is communication. We have to find common ground and, from there, make changes to move forward. He quoted Daisaku Ikeda, a Japanese Buddhist leader, author, and educator, as saying, "Hope is a decision independent of outcomes, to believe change is possible". If you act on that basis, things will inevitably get better. He didn't mention Trump or Putin, keeping it general, and warned that this generation has forgotten the lessons of the two World Wars: democracy needs work and cannot be taken for granted. When individuals gain power on the promise to sweep away the old ways but serve only their own interests, we must actively oppose them to remove them, or we are lost.
I greatly admire how this man is still working as a force for good. He's like Obi-Wan Kenobi, identifying and shaping padawans to fight the evil Empire and oppose the Dark Side.
He is an inspiring speaker, but I'm glad he only spoke for an hour and twenty minutes. Those Hydro seats are so uncomfortable on your arse.
Ticket Price (OVO Presale): £120.00 x 2 & Service Fee: £17.45 x 2 & Venue Facility Fee: £3.25 x 2 = £281.40 via Ticketmaster (purchased 29/7/26)
