Once we see our favourite artist carry out at a stadium live performance, we’re anticipating a divine expertise. In any case, attending an enormous present is the closest factor the typical particular person may expertise to a holy pilgrimage: strangers from all completely different walks of life coming collectively to share their adoration for one musical deity. We should always finish the evening feeling enlightened, if not utterly remodeled.
Solely that’s not often how these exhibits truly go. A extra widespread stadium expertise these days entails 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 getting into the venue with hundreds of different folks is its personal headache.
This actuality has by no means been extra clear, because of social media. Only some 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 in regards to 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 guardian firm Stay Nation Leisure for a scarcity of communication and transparency (however largely Stay Nation and Ticketmaster). Typically, 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 troublesome to easily benefit from the music.
As Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Put up Malone, Billie Eillish, and Ed Sheeran all embark on or resume stadium excursions this yr, it raises an important query about the way forward for concertgoing: Does anybody truly wish to see a live performance with 80,000 different folks?
Stadium excursions are the must-have social expertise, whether or not we prefer it or not
If you happen to ask Gen Z why they’re spending a lot on live shows, they’ll cite a concern of lacking out. In line with a 2024 examine by Merge, Gen Z tends to overspend — and spend impulsively — on reside occasions, regardless of being a notably cost-conscious cohort. Members for the examine additionally listed peer affect and social strain as causes for splurging.
“Stadium live shows nearly really feel like Halloween.”
— Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone author
Stadium excursions have change into must-see occasions in recent times. In line with Pollstar, stadium live performance grosses for the highest 100 services elevated from $1.48 billion in 2019 to $2.68 billion in 2022. The high 5 high-grossing excursions of 2023, together with Beyoncé, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Pink, and Taylor Swift have been all held at stadiums.
Beyoncé and Swift’s respective stadium excursions, starting in 2023, cemented this increase. The 2-year-long Eras Tour turned the primary to gross over $2 billion, whereas Renaissance World Tour raked in practically $600 million. After 4 a long time of rock bands dominating the venue, the high stadium excursions have been being led by pop acts within the 2020s. Now, it appears these large-scale live shows have change into necessary experiences, not only for followers, however for artists as nicely. Stay Nation just lately reported that exhibits taking part in in stadiums this yr have elevated by 60 % from 2024.
Now, stadium live shows are the final word summer season vacation spot, typically requiring as a lot effort and cash as an precise getaway. Stadium excursions — particularly when helmed by enormous pop artists — can entail scrummaging by way of hectic presales, budgeting for exorbitantly priced tickets, planning themed outfits, and even worldwide journey.
“Stadium live shows nearly 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 straightforward to see how younger folks could be influenced into attending these exhibits, 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 total 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 exhibits 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 singular emotional impression much like a pageant.
“There’s one thing about 80,000 followers gathered, cheering, screaming, and singing in unison,” Mirakian says. “There’s nearly a religious vitality that’s actually laborious to duplicate.”
Nonetheless, even this heightened degree 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 downside, it feels telling that even the purest expertise one might have on this atmosphere might finally 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 folks attending. Mirakian says that stadium excursions have confirmed to be an environment friendly approach for artists to “make up for time misplaced and revenues that have been missed” in the course of the pandemic. Extra seats means extra ticket gross sales. They will also be cheaper to provide. Doing a number of exhibits at one venue, for instance, cuts down on journey bills. In fact, this hasn’t stopped artists and ticket distributors from charging ridiculous costs for tickets.
Past income, although, stadium excursions have change into methods for artists to say their standing within the trade and popular culture. “It’s change into this unbelievable second for her to ascertain this kind of dominance,” Mirakian says. “If an artist can promote out a number of nights [at a stadium], it turns into this proof of impression.”
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 trip cellular phases by way of the group, and Taylor Swift carry out with hearth and rain.”
Nonetheless, even with large visuals and spectacular stunts at play, there’s the stark actuality that stadiums merely aren’t designed for the very best acoustics.
“There’s all kinds of challenges with open-air venues,” Mirakian says. “Most of all they’re designed for sports activities, not live shows first.”
This downside revealed itself throughout The Eras Tour when followers reported their incapacity to listen to Swift’s vocals in opposition to the huge crowd’s singing. At a soccer sport, in contrast, followers could wish to be overwhelmed by the group’s noise. Even when artists’ makes an attempt to offer the very best sound attainable, it might trigger a visual hindrance. As an example, 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 will 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 finally “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. “Folks have been pushing and slicing. There have been a number of verbal altercations.” She stated the workers led ticket-holders for her VIP pit to the flawed part. By the point they have 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 ground tickets — costing as much as the hundreds — 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 have been farther from the stage than what they are saying was marketed on Ticketmaster (a problem 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 will be best 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 trade forecasters questioning whether or not the stadium tour bubble will lastly burst. Ticket gross sales for the tour have been underwhelming, though the singer continues to be on monitor to gross tons of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}. In the meantime, the Justice Division is suing Stay Nation for allegedly working an unlawful monopoly of the live-music trade.
For now, although, these excursions appear to be working for large artists. Till they don’t, we’ll proceed posting selfies from stadium hell.