Going to a Gig or Festival

LIFESTYLE · UNITED KINGDOM

Going to a Gig or Festival

Planning the day, accessibility, hearing protection and getting home

A live event is remembered for the music and ruined by the logistics, which are almost entirely within your control.

Before you go

Check the venue's bag policy, which is now restrictive at most large events, and whether entry is by digital ticket only. Check the curfew and the last train rather than assuming.

Support acts start earlier than people expect, and the headline time is usually published a few days before.

Accessibility

Most venues have an access scheme with a dedicated booking line, viewing platforms and a free companion ticket. Apply early, since the schemes require registration and proof.

Ask about step-free routes, accessible toilets, seating for anyone who cannot stand for hours and quiet spaces, which more venues now provide.

Hearing protection

Live music routinely exceeds levels that cause permanent damage, and noise damage is cumulative and does not recover. Filtered musicians' earplugs reduce volume without muffling the sound and cost very little.

Ringing in the ears afterwards is a sign of damage rather than of a good night. Take breaks away from the speakers.

Crowds

Know where the exits are, stay out of a crush at the front if it becomes uncomfortable, and agree a meeting point with your group in case phones fail.

Buying tickets

Buy from the official seller or an authorised resale platform, and be wary of listings on social media, which is where most ticket fraud starts. Pay by a method offering protection and never by bank transfer to an individual.

Screenshots of tickets are not tickets, and mobile tickets are frequently non-transferable.

Festivals specifically

Sun, water, food and somewhere to charge a phone. Sunscreen and a hat matter more than anything in the bag, and heat exhaustion is the most common medical problem at summer festivals.

Write a meeting point and a phone number on paper, since batteries die.

Planning the evening

Eat before you go, since venue food is expensive and queues are long. Take a small bag that meets the policy, a portable charger and a layer for the walk home.

Check whether the venue is cashless, which most now are.

Alcohol and safety

Never leave a drink unattended, and use the venue's welfare or security staff if you or somebody with you feels unwell or unsafe. Most venues have a dedicated scheme for this.

Check the venue map before you arrive, since finding the right entrance in a crowd is slow.

Getting home

Plan it before you go and share your location with someone. Book transport in advance, since surge pricing after an event is substantial.

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