Once we see our favourite artist carry out at a stadium live performance, we’re anticipating a divine expertise. In spite of everything, attending an enormous present is the closest factor the common individual would possibly expertise to a holy pilgrimage: strangers from all totally different walks of life coming collectively to share their adoration for one musical deity. We must always finish the evening feeling enlightened, if not utterly reworked.
Solely that’s hardly ever how these reveals really go. A extra frequent stadium expertise these days includes stressing out over presales and going broke to purchase a ticket, then struggling to see the stage or hear the musician you got here to hearken to. Simply coming into the venue with 1000’s of different individuals is its personal headache.
This actuality has by no means been extra clear, because of social media. Just a few dates into Beyoncé’s extremely anticipated Cowboy Carter Tour, followers have been flooding the feed with their less-than-ideal experiences attending the present. Whereas most have raved concerning the high quality of the manufacturing, consuming the three-hour live performance in a stadium appears to come back with some notable inconveniences, from lackluster views to chaotic VIP sections.
Followers have blamed Beyoncé, Ticketmaster, and its father or mother firm Reside Nation Leisure for a scarcity of communication and transparency (however largely Reside Nation and Ticketmaster). Basically, it looks like these large-scale live shows don’t actually serve followers the best way they need to. As an alternative, they require some huge cash and energy for an expertise the place it’s typically tough to easily benefit from the music.
As Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Publish Malone, Billie Eillish, and Ed Sheeran all embark on or resume stadium excursions this yr, it raises a vital query about the way forward for concertgoing: Does anybody really need to see a live performance with 80,000 different individuals?
Stadium excursions are the must-have social expertise, whether or not we prefer it or not
When you ask Gen Z why they’re spending a lot on live shows, they’ll cite a worry of lacking out. In accordance with a 2024 research by Merge, Gen Z tends to overspend — and spend impulsively — on reside occasions, regardless of being a notably cost-conscious cohort. Individuals for the research additionally listed peer affect and social strain as causes for splurging.
“Stadium live shows virtually really feel like Halloween.”
— Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone author
Stadium excursions have change into must-see occasions in recent times. In accordance with Pollstar, stadium live performance grosses for the highest 100 amenities elevated from $1.48 billion in 2019 to $2.68 billion in 2022. The prime 5 high-grossing excursions of 2023, together with Beyoncé, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Pink, and Taylor Swift had been all held at stadiums.
Beyoncé and Swift’s respective stadium excursions, starting in 2023, cemented this growth. The 2-year-long Eras Tour grew to become the primary to gross over $2 billionwhereas Renaissance World Tour raked in practically $600 million. After 4 a long time of rock bands dominating the venue, the prime stadium excursions had been being led by pop acts within the 2020s. Now, it appears these large-scale live shows have change into obligatory experiences, not only for followers, however for artists as effectively. Reside Nation not too long ago reported that reveals enjoying in stadiums this yr have elevated by 60 p.c from 2024.
Now, stadium live shows are the final word summer time vacation spot, typically requiring as a lot effort and cash as an precise getaway. Stadium excursions — particularly when helmed by big pop artists — can entail scrummaging by way of hectic presales, budgeting for exorbitantly priced tickets, planning themed outfits, and even worldwide journey.
Beyoncé followers on the Renaissance World Tour on the Mates Enviornment in Stockholm in Might 2023. Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
“Stadium live shows virtually really feel like Halloween, the place you spend weeks deciding what you’re going to put on, who you’re going to go along with, and what you’re going to do main as much as the present,” Rolling Stone author Tomás Mier says.
It’s simple to see how younger individuals could be influenced into attending these reveals, given how a lot online-posting is prioritized within the expertise. From the second concertgoers buy tickets, they’re sharing their order confirmations on social media. En path to the live performance, they’re importing their themed outfits. Once they lastly arrive, followers submit complete sequences of the present, each spoiling it for future attendees and altering the expertise for themselves.
Mier argues, although, that stadiums supply extra than simply social forex within the type of an Instagram submit, asserting that these reveals can really feel “extra communal.” Brian Mirakian, senior principal and co-director on the live-venue design agency Populous, says that the sheer quantity of individuals packed right into a stadium can present a novel emotional affect just like a competition.
“There’s one thing about 80,000 followers gathered, cheering, screaming, and singing in unison,” Mirakian says. “There’s virtually a non secular power that’s actually laborious to duplicate.”
Nonetheless, even this heightened stage of emotion seemingly has some downsides. Following Swift’s Eras Tour, many attendees reported having “post-concert amnesia,” which researchers believed to be linked to an awesome feeling of pleasure and, thus, the lack to course of what they’ve consumed. Whereas this appears to be a Swiftie-centric drawback, it feels telling that even the purest expertise one may have on this setting may in the end be fleeting.
Stadiums excursions are nice for artists, however not for followers
The advantages of those large-scale excursions are extra apparent for the performers than the individuals attending. Mirakian says that stadium excursions have confirmed to be an environment friendly method for artists to “make up for time misplaced and revenues that had been missed” through the pandemic. Extra seats means extra ticket gross sales. They may also be cheaper to supply. Doing a number of reveals at one venue, for instance, cuts down on journey bills. After all, this hasn’t stopped artists and ticket distributors from charging ridiculous costs for tickets.
Past earnings, although, stadium excursions have change into methods for artists to claim their standing within the business and popular culture. “It’s change into this unbelievable second for her to ascertain this form of dominance,” Mirakian says. “If an artist can promote out a number of nights (at a stadium), it turns into this proof of affect.”
In some cases, it’s thrilling for sure, visually expert artists to create immersive worlds out of those venues.
“I’ve had nice expertise seeing artists in stadiums,” Mier says. “I’ve seen Beyoncé and Unhealthy Bunny fly round SoFi Stadium, BTS experience cellular phases by way of the gang, and Taylor Swift carry out with hearth and rain.”
Nonetheless, even with huge visuals and spectacular stunts at play, there’s the stark actuality that stadiums merely aren’t designed for one of the best acoustics.
“There’s all types of challenges with open-air venues,” Mirakian says. “Most of all they’re designed for sports activities, not live shows first.”
This drawback revealed itself throughout The Eras Tour when followers reported their lack of ability to listen to Swift’s vocals in opposition to the huge crowd’s singing. At a soccer recreation, in contrast, followers might need to be overwhelmed by the gang’s noise. Even when artists’ makes an attempt to offer one of the best sound doable, it could possibly trigger a visual hindrance. As an illustration, TikTok creators who attended the Cowboy Carter Tour have complained about big audio system on the grounds of the stadium blocking their view.
Apart from these visible and sonic points, stadiums may also be bodily demanding. Coming into and exiting a venue can take lengthy durations of time. Shopping for a standing ticket comes with a danger of discomfort and, within the case of some Cowboy Carter Tour attendees, full disarray.
One concertgoer named Jordan stated she paid $1,800 for a VIP ticket for Beyoncé’s first Cowboy Carter present at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 and in the end “felt scammed” by what ought to’ve been the premier live performance expertise.
“We encountered a harmful crowd-crush state of affairs whereas safety led us down a number of steep ramps,” she tells Vox. “Individuals had been pushing and slicing. There have been a number of verbal altercations.” She stated the employees led ticket-holders for her VIP pit to the mistaken part. By the point they had been moved to the right pit, followers who had arrived later than she had had taken first dibs behind the barricades.
The problems began as quickly because the tour did. Attendees who bought flooring tickets — costing as much as the 1000’s — shared their complaints on TikTok after opening evening. One concertgoer, who stood in a VIP pit, claimed he couldn’t see Beyoncé for lengthy durations of the present as a result of the band blocked his view. Many pointed out that the VIP pits had been farther from the stage than what they are saying was marketed on Ticketmaster (a difficulty the tour firm has apparently addressed). Others declare that Ticketmaster didn’t notify them that their tickets had an obstructed view.
“Nothing at that scale could be splendid for everybody concerned,” Jordan says. “Ideally, Beyoncé is performing in my yard. Nevertheless, I really feel there ought to be a definitive effort to accommodate those that paid for a VIP expertise.”
The hoopla surrounding the Cowboy Carter Tour has followers and business forecasters questioning whether or not the stadium tour bubble will lastly burst. Ticket gross sales for the tour have been underwhelming, though the singer remains to be on observe to gross a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars}. In the meantime, the Justice Division is suing Reside Nation for allegedly working an unlawful monopoly of the live-music business.
For now, although, these excursions appear to be working for large artists. Till they don’t, we’ll proceed posting selfies from stadium hell.
