With the onset of summer and the beginning of concert season, now is the perfect time to establish a little concert etiquette before you set out. Here are the top seven rules of concert etiquette the people around you most likely want you to know!
7. Don't mooch off of the people around you.
It's okay to ask for help, and a good majority of the time people are more than willing to help, but you don't want to be the clinger that somebody has to shake. Come prepared--have your own water, your own portable charger, your own snacks, etc. On the other hand, concerts can be one of the best places to make friends.
6. Get there as early or as late as you want, but respect the line.
Sure, some people make it their mission to be there first, and may camp out for days. But choosing to sleep outside in a tent doesn't make you the czar of the line. Likewise, if you show up five minutes before doors open to a popular band or musician's concert, you might not make it into the pit. Either way, respect the people in front of you by not creeping up or cutting in, and respect the people behind you by not being rude. If you leave the line, you're out of line and may not get your exact spot back. If you're not physically in the formed line, you're not in the line.
5. If you can't handle the pit, stay out of the pit.
Being in the space that sits directly in front of the stage can be exciting and fun, but it's also a lot to handle. There's pushing, dancing, screaming and absolutely no personal space. People are going to smoke all kinds of things, and try to crowd surf, and take pictures and videos, and you're going to be standing from the time you get there to whenever you leave. If any of that is going to bother you, avoid the pit. Someone else will gladly take your place.
4. Avoid recording the entire show.
Of course everyone is excited to be there, and very much wants to document and remember the whole thing. And nearly everyone is going to at least take a picture, or record a video at some point during a concert, that's completely understandable. But we all know (or can imagine) how irritating it is to be stuck behind someone who has to have each song recorded in its entirety. A good rule of thumb to follow is, if it would bother you if the person in front of you did it, don't do it.
3. For the love of all that is good and holy, do not push the people in front of you.
It might not seem like much, but being in a tightly packed pit, it's easy for a small disturbance to snowball and become bigger, and maybe what didn't seem like a big push can become a tidal wave. It is absolutely terrifying to be packed skin to skin with hundreds of people around you and suddenly be caught in a wave of bodies that are unable to move or get out when people start pushing. People at the very front literally have nowhere else to go but up against a (usually metal) barrier. Just don't do it. People get hurt, and no one has a good time. Not to mention it's rude.
2. Respect the people on stage.
Every now and then, it seems that fans have a bit of a hard time remembering that the beloved artist(s) or group(s) on stage are people. Be respectful of them and their music while they're performing for you. You paid to be there, but they work hard and sacrifice to be on tour for you. For example, just because you can scream whatever you want at them whenever you want, doesn't mean that you should.
1. If someone is in danger, or needs help, you help in whatever way you can.
Concerts and festivals can be intense experiences, especially in the summer, and especially when you're in the pit. It's easy to get dehydrated, overwhelmed, exhausted, or really any number of things, when you've been standing for hours in the hot sun. So if and when you see someone struggling, or potentially in trouble, do whatever you can, even if it's just backing off to give them some space.
