BST Hyde Park show tips

[Drumbalina]

Can anyone going over the next week or so please give any tips specifically about best (quietest) toilets, good viewpoints (ideally staying seated until the main act!) and anything else that might help others!

Not been to an outdoor concert in years and off to see Bruce Springsteen! But comfort is my main priority 🤣

I took a uniqlo cross body and a water bottle. Staff were lovely

I took a really small bag after reading the comments on here but people had much bigger ones. And annoyingly it didn't even get looked in so I could have also have taken some protein bars which I left at home (diabetic). People had some really clever seats too, that were in some sort of rucksack and although you sat on the floor in them, they had backrests. People had prams with huge bags underneath; and lots of blankets. I was quite cross that I packed so minimally!

I would take some of the advice on here with a very large pinch of salt, tbh.

I’d certainly recommend non ticket holders picnicking nearby. Loads of those in the warm night. Looked lovely.

Agree. But maybe less strict now than at start. Don’t leave a fkn picnic rug our 4 metres from the stage or let your teenagers sit down on the floor during the support act 😩

We said that if it was a band next year that we wanted to see and couldn't get tickets we'd sit outside too. The sound system was surprisingly good and there was a great atmosphere with picnic groups sat near the entrance.

This is ridiculous advice for anyone reading this thread for the same advice. I go to HP every single day in the summer, BST runs every year and doesn’t disrupt my evening walks. It’s absolutely fine as long as you avoid 10.30 kick out time. Kensington gardens is 10-15 min walk away from BST and the majority of the rest of the park is totally unaffected.

Top advice is to avoid McDonald’s Edgware rd from 9.30-12 on a bst night!

security were very strict with regards to bag size at the beginning of the run but due to the sheer number of complaints have gotten more reasonable now. Especially on days with rain / changeable weather as people need to bring a jacket. There’s no excuse for not checking bags though.

@Namechangeforanamechange

thank you so much!

I'll pass that onto the teens!

I just need them to get on a train to Reading - at a reasonable hour!! The friend has finished exams but still has to go to school Monday, her parents weren't overly happy about her going.

@Theos

Do you have any Gold VIP ticket advice for two teens? (They're NOT taking a picnic blanket & I'll pass on your advice re being there for the support act & staying there!

But I assume there are plenty of screens? The love LDR but I think they're excited about the whole concert thing & everything else going on. (Whilst obviously trying to look 'chilled' about it 🤣🤣

@Theos

sorry to bother you again, but how easy was it to get drinks in the gold area?

I would take water bottles, but I'm ancient 😂they don't want 'stuff to carry around'. I guess it ruins 'the look'

i suggested a small umbrella...can you imagine the look I got 😂😂

(to be fair, I was the same at 17, not sure when I got 'so old' 😂😂)

We were Gold VIP for Billy as well, and it was pretty easy in the Hydeaway bit, much bigger queues for food, though you can of course get food in the main bit too, and there are several stands between the exit of the Hydeaway and the entrance to the Gold standing area (there is nothing in the Gold standing area though)

If they are walking to Paddington for the Reading train, their only options are the 23.30 or 23.33 as they'll be lucky to make the 23.00. The 23.33 is the last train I think....

You go in the south entrance, it’s already clearly labelled, food and drinks doors before you go through a second entrance where you have to show your gold wristband. Once you’re in there, there is no food and drink but you can come and go quite easily. I would take a big disposable water bottle and eat before you even get to the park

The drinks they were all pretty rank, think cocktails in tins. If they really want to drink I would do so before they get there. Get into the main bit about 430 if you want to get really near the stage and be ready not to move. Whatever you do, do not leave the gold area after the support act because you’ll never get back in the front

Here’s where I was - see the yellow circle?

By the way, can anyone help me by telling me how much a gold circle Billy ticket cost? I can’t find the details for mine and I need to get the money off my friend!

Hiya - Never have I been to an outdoor standing concert so would like your two-cents on how it works. Pardon me for any dumb questions! :)

We will be going to the Andrea Borcelli event in July in Hyde Park and bought the primary entry ticket (more expensive), which allow me to enter 1 hour early ahead of the main crowd. The concern last from 2-10:30pm so it is impossible not to go to toilet for such long hours. But once I go to the toilet and come back how would it possible to return to the place I originally stand? There is no reservation on the standing place nor zone, and the event does not allow any sort of foldable chair or picnic blanket. So I am puzzled once I go to the toilet I have to go all the way to the back for an very far and obstructed view.

Can you or anyone give me some idea how the etiquette normally works for standing show like this?

Thanks so much!! :)

You should be alright because there’s plenty of room for most of the day. If you’re worried about it I’d say make friends with the people surrounding you and ask them to save your space, every one is really friendly, but honestly it doesn’t really get busy until the main act comes on.

People come and go throughout the day getting food and going to different stages and all that stuff so no one spends the whole day saving their space.

Billy Joel came on at 8pm and I’ll attach a photo of how busy it is at 8:15pm, as you can see it’s busy but still enough room to move about so even if you did lose your place there is room for you to slot in elsewhere with no problem. It really only got that busy just before he came on, so between like 2pm and 7pm (the sit down picture is 3:30pm) there will still be plenty of room to move about and everyone that is there already is just lounging on the floor and spread out, pretty much just like a park on a summers day, lots of people everywhere but still room for everyone, and then everyone stands up when the main act comes on.

Thank you so much for the speedy and useful tips! Much appreciated!

Yeah agree. Don’t go to the loo just before the main act comes on because you’ll never get back near the front. We were right at the front at Billy Joel about four people in and we’ve been sitting around since about late afternoon. It’s just the annoying twats who don’t move their picnic blankets, so we stood on those.

Great thanks

just as a reference when do the main act comes normally? Before that will there be any small-show or activities on the stage? Or just everyone chat and chill out with their friends out there for hours since 2pm?

Billy was meant to come on at 8pm or 8:30pm, but he came on 20-30 minutes early. There’s multiple acts before the main act, we had bigger support acts like Natasha Bedingfield and Darryl Hall, but also smaller acts that were on the different stages. I think there’s about 3 or 4 stages other than the main stage so there’s always something going on. They’ll announce the support acts closer to the show time. Usually a month or so before. You can get a little lanyard when you’re there and it has a map of the park and the roster of what acts are coming on at what time. If you want to just chill for the day you can but there is a lot of entertainment around if you are wanting to keep busy before the main act.

It doesn't seem like any time at all since last time but here I am in the booking queue again for tickets! Not quite as excited for Stray Kids as I was about Guns n Roses though 🤣

I vaguely considered Robbie Williams but it's £153 and I saw him for £65 two years ago so no.

I see now that Shania Twain is playing so I guess I'm going.

We will be going to see Stray Kids as DD is obsessed with them. She screamed when I told her they were coming to London! Not that keen on any of the other acts announced so far though.

My kid is all grown up so just me.
I really wanted to see Shania on tour last year but couldn't, so Hyde Park it is.
I loved Billy Joel there last year.

We are going to see Morgan Wallen in July I’m thinking of upgrading our tickets, and don’t know what to do 🫣
any help/advise would be greatly appreciated 😊
I have the option of:
Gold circle
Gold VIP Hydeaway
Diamond VIP experience
Ultimate Diamond
Ultimate VIP Hydeaway

Thank you in advance