5 Concert Etiquette Tips

The older you get, the more expendable income you have to spare on fun stuff, like concerts. However, your tolerance for the chaos that is a standing-room-only concert also tends to go down. The best way to keep the crowd around you in check is leading by example. So the next time you’re about to jump in the mosh pit at a concert, snap back to reality and refer to these concert etiquette tips:

Snapchat sparingly. There’s no point in going to a concert if you’re not going to incite some FOMO in your friends. So it’s not like you need to keep your phone tucked in your clutch the entire night, but you should break it out sparingly. Everyone standing behind you is there to see the concert, not to witness whatever clever string of emojis you’ve designed for a Snapchat story. Yes, you can call your bestie during your song. Yes, you can Instagram a grainy close-up of your favorite singer. But don’t keep the phone out for the concert, and don’t post more than once while you’re there.
Dance considerately. The best part of attending a concert? Dancing like no one is watching. But someone is watching. Many people are watching, actually. Chances are they’re jamming too, so there’s no need to be self-conscious. You should be self-aware, though. No one enjoys taking an elbow to the face right when their favorite song starts to crescendo. Make sure you keep all your dancing parts within a reasonable radius of your body.
Attention all tall people: don’t be that guy. If this is a grown-up, sit-down kind of concert, tall people can only slouch so much. At a standing-room-only show, however, tall folks have some wiggle room. They can’t do anything about their height, but they should at least try to stay out of the direct line of sight of any vertically-challenged concertgoers standing directly behind them. That doesn’t mean you have to crouch or slouch if you’re tall, just don’t step right in front of someone who’s markedly shorter than you.
Dress like an adult. After trekking 20 minutes from your parking spot in the freezing cold wearing a tank and miniskirt and standing in line for 30 minutes wearing pumps, no one is happy. That includes you, the dummy who dressed for da club, and your companions, who’ve now been listening to you whine for a total of 50 minutes. They’ve got about three hours to go. May those kinds of shenanigans would fly if you were still 15, but you’re an adult now. Time to dress like one. If you must get gussied up for a show, at least make sure your outfit is weather-appropriate (there’s always coat check) and your shoes are comfortable.
Get there early. This should be a no-brainer for anyone who’s ever attended a concert before. No matter how early the doors open, aim to arrive 30 minutes before that if you want a good spot in the room. Chances are parking will take you longer than expected, and by the time you get to the venue, there will already be a line. If you don’t care as much about where you stand, then arriving late might actually work better, especially if you’re taking public transportation and won’t need a parking spot. You may be able to breeze right through the doors if the crowd has already cleared.

Concert Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts of Seeing Your Favorite Band [Phoenix New Times]

The Do’s and Don’ts of Concert Etiquette [Student Life Network]

Concert Do’s and Don’ts [KSSU The Blog]