O2 Arena goes Monster Truck crazy – and the fans just love it
BY ANDREW McSTEEN
The ‘Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-N-Fire’ tour took over the O2 Arena and it once again proved to be a highlight at the South London mega venue.
Lasting for just under two hours, the show combined family entertainment and sport throughout, opening with the introductions of the seven competing Monster Trucks including Bigfoot, Mega Wrex, Tiger Shark, HW 5-Alarm, Bone Shaker, Gunkster and Skelesaurus.
The trucks are life-sized versions of the toys coming under the Hot Wheels brand, owned by Mattel, which could be seen everywhere inside the venue – either being held by those in the audience or for sale around the various kiosks.
But this journalist was there for one special Monster Truck in particular, Bigfoot. Growing up in 1980s England, TV imports from the USA such as The A-Team, Dallas and Dukes of Hazzard were all the rage and sports such as American Football became popular, with Monster Trucks part of that.
And Bigfoot was the original Monster Truck. Created by Bob Chandler in 1975, now, 50 years later the Bigfoot brand is still owned by the Chandler family and a key part of the Hot Wheels Monster Truck family.
Despite most of the audience in the O2 not being born when Bigfoot launched all those years ago the show honoured the origins of the sport with a special ‘50’ Bigfoot taking centre stage on its 50th birthday, with the two energetic hosts inside the South London venue asking everyone to sing Happy Birthday to it when it was introduced last – and the sound from the crowd was deafening.
Driving Bigfoot was 34-year-old Rebecca Schnell, who became a driver through her now-husband and fellow Monster Truck driver Darron, at a show stateside. Rebecca was the first female driver on the Hot Wheels Monster Truck tour and is now a big part of continuing the legacy of Bigfoot, now in its 23rd iteration.
“I never, in a million years, thought I would be here talking to you being the driver of the Bigfoot truck,” Rebecca told the South London Press ahead of her Saturday night performance.
“It’s a very, very big deal. I originally started on the tour five years ago and my husband was actually driving Bigfoot. They found out that females are a little bit more, I guess, ‘exciting’ to be behind the wheel and then I kicked him out of his job. The next year, I took over Bigfoot, and he’s now in a Hot Wheels truck, which is really cool, because we get to do this together.
“Driving Bigfoot is the most ultimate accomplishment in my life. Not only am I the only female on our team, I get to come out here and represent and show that there can be a woman behind a very male-dominated sport. I’m excited to come out and showcase that women can do anything as well.”
Up close, the vehicles are a sight to behold – gleaming, full of colour, power and history, but getting such vehicles over to Europe from the US takes a lot of work and organisation – and is fully of worry, according to Rick Steffens, driver of ‘Skelesaurus’, a new addition to the tour.
“Everything is constructed at home in Circleville, Ohio and then we pack it all up – a million dollars-worth – into two boxes and Hot Wheels handle all the logistics and ship it over,” he explains.
“I’m very nervous (opening the containers) as you think to yourself; ‘all right, hopefully it’s not one of those ones which you see on Instagram Reels floating in the sea’.”
But thankfully, they all made it and for Steffens, not only is it a dream to drive a Monster Truck, but to do it in London and be surrounded by his family – wife Allison and two children Hadley and Hudson.
“I grew up loving Monster Trucks so I was fortunate enough to have worked myself into a seat and make a living out of it. The energy in London is indescribable and we’ve been fortunate enough to sell this place out several times over,” he explained the Texan native.
“My wife used to drive and having them on tour with me means the world – it’s not leaving home; it’s just taking home with me.”
Like WWE wrestling, the drivers of these Monster Trucks are first and foremost entertainers, but they are serious athletes too.
Each show sees points awarded in four competitions – donuts, freestyle, long jump and wheelie – with the overall winner taking the ‘Champions Cup’ at each show. The four competitions are split either side of a freestyle motocross show and a special performance from a ‘transforming dragon robot machine’ called ‘Arcticgon’ which breathes fire.
With the O2 hosting five Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-N-Fire shows in the three days, plus additional ‘meet and greets’ and signings for the drivers, it is a demanding year-round schedule so each driver and their team are well looked after.
They have their own dressing rooms, preparation and rest areas, complete with bespoke chefs, with Schnell having them prepare special vegan energy balls for her to eat between shows.
And driving these machines is not only a physical and mental test for the drivers, but a technical one too, as they, supported by mechanics and technicians, constantly make adjustments and perform safety checks throughout the event – like any motor sport.
The whole concept certainly works, with a record attendance at the O2 in 2025 of approaching 50,000 across the five shows, up 20 per cent on previous years.
“London is a really important show for us,” said Eric Cole, Chief Operating Officer of Family Entertainment Live, who hold the license to run the tour.
“It’s the opening of a tour and a new show in a very receptive market for us. There are great fans here and it’s really successful; that’s why we keep coming back – we have fans that want us to come back and we love playing here.
“There’s a cache to the O2 – it’s got a reputation,” he added about the world-famous South London venue, one venue in over 140 cities in the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and South America which the company tours to.
“Playing in this building is important for me as a producer and tour operator as you want to be in the big name places. I tell my people who are responsible for the US tours that they need to come here to London to see these shows, because there’s just something extra electric here – it’s a real family experience and the crowd is loud and totally into it.”
With the tour now in its fifth, consecutive year in South London, Bigfoot driver Schnell is well-versed in finding her way around the capital and one famous South London landmark.
“The other day, before competition we went to Borough Market. I love the food there; it’s great,” she explained. “I’m gluten free and I went to the taco stand (Padre) and their entire menu, which I am incredibly grateful for, is gluten free, so it was easy.
“Then I visited the coffee shop across the street, Monmouth Coffee, which is some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. It was really great. I went back for a second round, so I was feeling real good that day – I love this city, and I love being here.
“I’ve been to the O2 arena for the last three years and it’s my favourite venue to do, because we pack the house,” she added. “When you walk out during parts of the show and you see everyone’s cell phone lights on and then we walk around at the end of the show and you hear the cheers and the support that means that we have done our job, and we have accomplished something.
“We are giving these memories to these fans that’ll last a lifetime. That is an indescribable feeling, and I’m incredibly honoured to be a part of that.”
Pictured top: Rebecca with that off-the-scale truck (Picture: Rebecca Schnell)