What To Know Before Attending Your First Concert

The day has finally arrived. You wake up feeling more excited than you did yesterday. You finally get to see your favourite artist live.

Some of my favourite feelings in the world are the ones leading up to concerts. The feeling of lining up to get inside the venue, the countdown before they come on stage, and the moments when you are singing along with the crowd and artist.

I attended my first concert when I was 13 and it was an Allstar Weekend concert. As I was pretty young, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I have now been to more concerts than I can count on 1 hand. I have been to many different types of concerts and have learned from my experiences. I would like to share some tips on how to prepare for any type of concert you may have coming up!

General tips to get ready:

1. Keep your bag small. Rogers Arena just made a new rule where your bag can not be more than 14” x 14” x 6”. Although this may be an issue when you are coming straight from work or school, try to pack in a smaller bag that day. Small backpacks or over the shoulder/cross-body bags are a must for being comfortable and being able to move around during the concert.  

2. Dress Comfortable. Make sure you are dressed in something you will feel comfortable moving around in. Shoe choices are important as you may be standing or walking a lot in them. Dress in whatever you feel best and confident in! If the concert has a certain vibe or theme to it, research some outfit ideas and dress up!

3. Charge all devices you are bringing beforehand.

4. Research the venue beforehand.

5. Bring a light coat or one you can tie around your waist.

A list of items to bring in your carry on:

1. The ticket. Very important.

2. Portable phone charger.

3. Hand sanitizer.

4. Wallet/Cash (for merchandise).

5. A hair tie.

6. Tissues. Sometimes hearing your favourite songs live may make you a little emotional.

7. Make sure to not bring any food or water bottles as they will make you throw them out.

How to act in the venue and having a game plan:

1. Arrive early. Sometimes arriving a bit before doors open can give you time to line up for merch, food, find your seats, and look around the venue.

2. Have a meeting spot set if you are separating or meeting people later on.

3. Do not run when the doors open or in the venue as it can cause safety hazards.

4. Be respectful to security and those working the booths. As time consuming as bag check may be, it is very important to make sure everyone there is safe. Going back to the point about bags, having a smaller bag will make the process run smoothly.

5. In case of an emergency, look for exit signs. It is important to stay calm and try to find the best and safest way possible to exit the venue.

These are general tips I have for attending your first concert or maybe learning some new things before attending your next concert. Another concert-hack I have learned over the years is: buying tickets either the month of, a few weeks before, or a few days before the concert. Sometimes even the day of. I have only bought 1 ticket the day they went on sale out of the over 10 concerts I have been to. I find the best prices come out closer to the day and will save you money or find you better seats. Of course buy them when you are ready to! Another tip is that when they say the concert is sold out, there is a chance they may not be. This summer, I tried for months to see Ed Sheeran. Pre-sale, radio station giveaways, other ticket websites, and just about everything. It was sold out absolutely everywhere! My friend and I decided the day of the concert we were going to go to the venue and try to buy them off a scalper or if anyone else was selling them. Lo and behold, we see a line outside a ticket booth. Rogers Arena released 200 more tickets! I got to see Ed Sheeran and it was one of the best concerts I have been to.

I hope this article has helped you prepare for your concert or you have learned something from it! Some of the most amazing experiences you will have are ones where you are at a concert. Never give up on trying to find tickets to see your favourite artist live.