Going to a concert alone can be intimidating, especially the first time. How will you get there? Will you meet people there? What should you bring to be prepared? How will you dance? I’m going to share tips to address all the solo concert questions, but first… a little background about why I started going to concerts alone:
My name’s Mike! My wife (who optimized my article for SEO) and I are avid concert goers, attending everything from stadium tours to small local shows. We love live music to such an extreme that we now travel full time in our 1986 camper van with our two rescue pups, Ziggy and Ditto, so that we can see every single show we want across the country… or even internationally. That being said, I often attend concerts solo because I’ll see 4+ shows a week, which can be a little much for most people.
Some of the most high-demand shows we’ve seen include:
- Taylor Swift Eras Tour – Glendale / Swift City (Taylor tips here)
- Desert Trip
- Garth Brooks Stadium Tour
- Phish Mexico
- The Rolling Stones Stadium Tour
Some of the most fun concerts I’ve attended solo include:
- Bonnaroo
- Coachella (have gone solo and with friends)
- Phish Dick’s
- Tedeschi Trucks Band
- Dead & Company – Boulder
- and just about every Grateful Dead or Phish cover band
I’m actually headed on a solo Spring Tour of Phish along the West Coast next week! You can follow along on that journey here.
Benefits of going to a concert alone:
Most people view going to a concert solo as a weird concept, but there are a ton of pros to going alone. Cost, standing room only, scheduling, and embracing the music are just a few.
- Schedule: you’re completely on your own, which means nobody is going to make you late, you can line up whenever you want, you can go early or late, and you’ll never be in a rush. One of the biggest pros of going to a concert alone is simply only being responsible for yourself!
- GA / Standing Room Only view: as a solo concert goer, you can squirm your way closer to the stage with ease or move around wherever you’re most comfortable. It’s a lot harder to move around as a group of people in GA environments than it is when attending a show alone.
- Cost: Resellers tend to mark up prices for tickets that are seated together because they know it may be hard to find a cluster of tickets for your entire crew. Plus.. if you’re a couple or go with your kids to shows, the price of buying multiple tickets can be expensive. When you’re alone, you can always find a single ticket up for grabs… and it’s usually at a less expensive price. Check out our tips for buying Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets for more insights.
- Making Friends: maybe you went alone because nobody else was as committed to the artist as you were. Going solo automatically opens the door to meeting new friends with the same music taste as you. I’ve met people from all over the world as a solo concert goer that I end up becoming really good friends with! I’m even staying with one of my Phish friends during my solo Spring Tour – all because I met her while solo at a different Phish show.
- Embrace the music: the biggest pro is that when you go alone, you’re really there to experience the music. You won’t have to coordinate bathroom breaks, beer runs, merch lines, or anything else with your friends. You can dance the night away, singing every lyric to every song or just bob your head to your faves without a single interruption.
Tips for going to a concert alone
Attending a concert solo is a lot like going with friends except you do have to plan ahead a little bit more. It’s not so easy to say… “hey, my phone is dead. Will you order the Uber?” to a stranger you just met. So here are my top tips for your first solo experience:
- Plan transportation ahead of time
If you’re driving yourself, make sure parking will be available nearby or look up park & ride options. For example, I booked myself on the Hollywood Bowl Park & Ride for the upcoming Phish tour because it’s a lot cheaper than paying for an Uber on my own.
Look at alternatives to Uber and Lyft, especially for high demand shows like Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour and music festivals.
If you’ll need to walk alone for a while to/from bus stops, try to stick with the crowd of people heading to the shows. It feels a lot safer walking together at night than it does when you’re on your own.
- Fully charge your phone and bring a charger pack
Keeping your phone charged is so important as a solo concert goer. It’s how you can let someone know if you need help, contract a ride, or order munchies on your way home. During Phish Dick’s one year, my phone died so I couldn’t get an Uber back or phone a friend for a ride. I ended up walking miles to a nearby gas station, buying a charger, plugging my phone in, and finally getting a ride home.
Another time I was phoneless, I ended up hopping in a car with some cool Phish Chicks who gave me a lift close to my Airbnb. It worked out super well, but I was also very lucky. I do recognize that doing this as a solo man is a lot different than a solo woman!
Anyway…. all that to say… keep your phone charged. Here are some tips for keeping your phone battery lasting all night:
- Toggle on low battery mode even if it’s at 100%
- Turn on Do Not Disturb mode
- Turn down screen brightness
- Exit out of apps you aren’t actively using
- Turn off background refresh on your apps
- Or turn off data completely (keep cell service and texting on for emergencies)
- Turn off live photo option on your iPhone
- Take fewer videos (this one is hard, but if your phone hits 20%, try taking pictures only!)
- Turn off phone at 10% – you’ll need it to get home
- Hydrate
When you’re alone, it’s easy to forget to stay hydrated because you may take fewer breaks. Substances will hit you harder and you could be at risk of being light headed without enough water intake. I often pack an empty CamelBak bladder in my clear drawstring bag. I then refill it at water fountains, refill stations, or even the sink at the show. This means I can take fewer breaks to go buy water, save money, and stay hydrated!
Check out our concert essentials Amazon store for more ideas to prepare for your next show.
- Review the bag policy
Each show is different. Each artist is different. Bag policies are set with a combination of what the artist wants and the venue. The Eras Tour bag policy is actually more strict than the typical stadium rules and doesn’t allow logos on clear bags per Taylor’s team. Now… depending on your security person, this may have some wiggle room.
Check for clear bag policies, size requirements, and items that you can have in the bag before leaving for the concert on your own. It really sucks if you’re by yourself and have to either discard your bag or put some stuff in your car and go to the back of the line.
- Sneak in some snacks
I often bring granola bars or uncrustables into concerts. They’re a great snack and that way, I don’t have to give up my spot when I’m hungry during GA/standing room only shows.
A lot of the time, I put them in my pants or at the bottom of my bag and security is fine with it. The worst that can happen is they say food isn’t allowed and you have to toss out your $1 snack. The best that can happen is you stay full during the show and can fully embrace the music with no breaks!
- Bring a debit and credit card
Most stadium tours are completely cashless to make sure lines move fast, so you’ll definitely need a credit or debit card. However, sometimes you can find local vendors slinging T-shirts in the parking lot or food trucks outside that are cash only. Bringing a debit and credit card makes sure you can pay for anything you want without a worry.
Fun fact: many stadiums now have opposite ATMs where you deposit cash onto your debit card rather than taking cash out!
- Share your location
Share your location with somebody you trust. You can do this through Google Maps or Find Friends on iOS. Not only can this be useful if you get lost or taken, it’ll also help if you drop your phone somewhere and need to find it later.
Note: this won’t work when your data is turned off.
- Make friends & trust your gut
Making friends that have the same music taste as you is one of the biggest pros of going to concerts alone! If you’re GA, you can pick a group of friends or other solo concert goers around you that seem cool. If you have seats, bring stickers or friendship bracelets to giveaway as a fast way to make new friends!
Having this new group of people that know you can be helpful if you’re targeted by a creeper. During Taylor Swift, one lone Swiftie became the target of a drunk guy that wouldn’t stop hitting on her. She made friends with her seat mates and all of them stood up for her, making the guy leave her alone.
Friends are great, but you don’t have to be overly friendly. Trust your gut. If someone has unpredictable behavior around you and you can move, MOVE! You’ll find another group of people that are more fun to be around and get a different view of the show.
If you can’t move and are being harassed by a concert goer, trust your gut and report it to security. Bad vibes have no place at a show.
- Pack a pocket blanket
I bring a Matador pocket blanket with me to every show. It’s so awesome because I can have my own space to put my bag during GA events, sit on lawns at pre-show events, sit when I’m waiting to enter a venue, or sit as I wait for an Uber/Lyft. (sitting is good when you’ll be standing for 6+ hours to the music)
Security has never given me a hard time, mostly because it’s so small that they can’t tell what it is. I have reached out to do a brand deal with Matador because of how much I swear by this blanket, but they haven’t returned my emails (yet…)!
- Take substances with caution
“Maybe you had too much too fast” is a great Grateful Dead lyric but not something you want to hear when at a concert alone. Everyone enjoys concerts differently, and if you’re someone who dabbles in substances, make sure you know what you’re doing. You won’t have other people there to take care of you if you had 5 too many shots or got your dosage wrong.
And in today’s climate, be very careful when accepting drinks and substances from strangers. Be responsible for yourself and just say no – even to your new friends. Stay safe, stay alert, check for fentanyl, and bring Narcan if you plan to dabble. You may even be able to get some test strips for free in your state!
- Plan bathroom breaks
This is more of an issue for GA and standing room-style solo concerts. You will need to use the bathroom (unless you wear a diapey). If you do take a bathroom break, look around at your closest landmarks – signs near the stage, light fixtures, where you are relative to the band, etc. to try and find the same spot. At the same time, be ok with the fact you might not have the same spot when you get back. Making friends does help when you want to leave and come back!
- Have an open mind
Set the expectation ahead of time that you’ll go with the flow. This sets you up for having an open mind and being ok with whatever happens. Attend the pre-show events alone, line up early, and make the experience as much fun as you want.
I promise that if you just keep an open mind, you’ll have the best time (maybe even better than if you went with friends).
- Have a great time
Most importantly, have the time of your life! You’re alone so you can really dance like no one’s watching, dress up as much as you want (check out our custom merch), and cry happy tears whenever it feels right.
I hope these tips help you feel confident and prepared for your first solo concert! So many people we know are attending the Taylor Swift Eras Tour solo because of availability and cost – you’re going to have a great time and remember… you’re never alone when you’re in a stadium of fans that love the music just as much as you!
Here are some more resources… just for the Swifties:
Tips for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour – Additional Resources
I created an Eras Tour Facebook group where we can connect, get hyped, and ask questions as we prepare for all the show locations. When enough people ask about alternatives to Uber and Lyft for Taylor Swift, I create a community chat for carpooling where you can connect with other Swifties in the same boat. You can join the group here.
- Tips for Buying Tickets on the Resale Market
This blog covers our 5 favorite resale sites for Taylor Swift and tips for avoiding scammers!
- Alternatives to Uber/Lyft
This blog goes into detail about transportation to and from the Taylor Swift shows since these stadium tours are crazy!
The Eras Tour playlist on our TikTok (Roam Away From Home) covers all things Taylor Swift, including makeup tips, outfit inspo, and Q&A style videos.
I created a storefront for concert essentials and outfit ideas for each Era of Taylor Swift in our storefront! I’m continuing to add to this on the daily, so check back for more inspiration. The goal is to save you the hours I spent looking for the items so you can just enjoy the show!
- YouTube Swiftie Content (coming soon!)
Check out our YouTube for more Swiftie content and a look into The Eras Tour. We have a couple of Shorts up there now, but we will be creating vlog-style long form video and FAQs so you can get all the details!