Every year millions of people attend concerts, however in recent years the concert environment has drastically shifted as concerts have reached an even more heightened popularity. 2023 was a major year for concerts with the start of significant artists tours, such as Taylor Swift’s “The Eras” tour and Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” tour. With the rise of popular artists going on tour, many new people entered the concert world. This had positive effects on concert culture by building better communities and creating a more inclusive environment at concerts. This growth of new concert goers has also brought up some cons, such as lack of concert etiquette.
Many believe that the main cause of the shift in concert culture is due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, everyone wanted to share their experiences online. After the pandemic, social media became a huge part of concerts. Today, you can’t go to a concert without seeing hundreds of phones recording or taking pictures. In response some artists like John Mayer and Madonna have prohibited phones at some of their concerts, instead encouraging audiences to be present in the moment. Banning the use of phones during performances has been great for performers because they have a more interactive crowd.
Arguably the biggest aspect of concert culture surrounds the behavior of the people attending. One big area of concern is people throwing items on stage. This is by no means a new issue, however it has gained more recognition as a problem in recent years with a surge in the behavior. A great example of this is the 2023 phone incident with Bebe Rexha. While performing on stage, a member of the audience threw their smartphone on stage and hit the singer, causing an injury. This incident, one of many similar to it, raised more awareness around the subject, which will hopefully result in less people making such mistakes. Something many people are upset with while attending concerts, is their own peers. Dancing, bumping and jumping are almost guaranteed at concerts, yet many get caught up in the moment and disregard the needs of others.
Music would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for concert performances. Concerts are a great way of making new memories and having a great time. People go to dress up, hang out with friends or to gain exposure to new music. Nevertheless, it is still important to be respectful. By being aware of others at a concert you can make the experience more enjoyable for everyone, and create an inviting environment.
Concerts aren’t just a great way to connect with fans, they can also reinvent the music industry. (Source BBC)
