Just a warning to anyone going to a concert at Wembley

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Just a warning for anyone attending a concert at Wembley Arena and sitting in the back rows/high tiers.
I went to the Harry Styles concert yesterday and saw a huge queue of people asking to be moved because they were frightened by how high up the seats were. There was even a child crying. A lot of people simply didn’t realise how steep and high those seats are until they got there.
If you’re not great with heights, suffer from vertigo, get claustrophobic, or struggle in hot environments, it’s worth checking your seat location carefully before booking, as you may find it uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, Wembley Arena couldn’t move people to other seats, even though the show wasn’t completely sold out. They were told that Ticketmaster still controlled the unsold seats until Harry came on stage because they were continuing to try to sell them.
Just something to bear in mind when choosing seats, especially if you’re attending with children or anyone nervous about heights.

I think its more trend, I have been to a lot of concerts at wembley and very rarely have I seen anyone be moved but there's a big social media trend of people asking and getting moved to much better seats for no additional money.

Its very dependent on the person, I'm scared of heights and went to a match there the other week. We were up high near the back in the licensed standing area and I was fine. I do wonder if some fake it to try to get moved to better seats.

It absolutely is a thing of people faking fear of heights/vertigo and asking to be moved. I worked in theatre and it happened even there with people asking to be moved from the upper circle to the dress or stalls. It's very unfortunate because there probably are genuine cases where someone has bought the only ticket available not realising how steep the seat is and then suffering because ten other people are trying to game the system.

This happened to me at my local football stadium. We were seated in the round corner up above not realising how steep the seating was and with a gap through which you could see the ground below! I have fear of falling, so it was a nightmare. I had to really concentrate to keep it out of my mind.

Happened to us at Birmingham Symphony Hall. Top tier (I'd booked and not thought) and DH really struggled. We asked to be moved but they couldn't/wouldn't, so we left in the interval.

Real shame - only venue where DH has had this problem.

I had a similar problem in a theatre and offered to pay the difference between the seat I had booked and a seat that was not high up and terrifyingly steep. If people want to move then paying the difference would sort out the genuinely terrified from the chancers.

The thing is that if you are buying through ticketmaster or axa it is very clear when your tickets are not suitable for those with fear of heights or vertigo (for Wembley and o2 at least) so anyone who is surprised must have obtained tickets through non official sites or not read the very clear message when booking.

I've never been to Wembley but went to a comedy gig at our local arena a few years ago - never again! It was so high and steep and unbearably hot. I won't go to anything there now.

Had a similar experience at the 02. Am agora-vertigo-phobic (not sure if that is a real word, LOL, but fear of falling, so open spaces at height are an issue - due to falling of a slide as a child and fracturing my skull/coma) and when I went recently the seats were so steep I literally had to cling on to the bar behind them as I mad my way along them. I know better and will be careful where I book going forward (they were cheap tickets). I had to sit plastered in my seat and sent DH for multiple overpriced G&Ts until I could escape at the end!!

Same applies to some of the seats at the Albert Hall. They are very steep.

It's definitely people faking fear to get better seats. They tell you when you book it's high up.

OP You’ve referenced the wrong venue. Harry Styles is at Wembley STADIUM. Maybe MNHQ will amend the title for you.
But yes, the stadium is high, but IME the upper tiers at the O2 are worse.

If you are frightened of heights, why would you not do a bit of research before going? They walk amongst us..

We had this at Anfield when I went with my dad. Just tried not to think how high we were!

This , we had front row seats in the highest tier at the O2 this week and it clearly stated on the ticket that if you are scared of heights that they are unsuitable . Perfect for us as nobody stood up in front of us .

At the Kylie concert at the O2, as soon as the show started, ushers went around those highest rows giving out tickets for the empty seats lower down. I was just beyond the cut off which sucked but still jolly nice of them/Kylie as it’s obviously not standard.

i do think there’s a lot of faking tho from those wanting upgrades to further down. No one loves seating in the vertiginous seats but if that’s what you bought, that’s what you get. It’s never been easier to look up what the view is from the seats you’re booking and it’s on the purchaser if they didn’t do their homework.

In my experience you are usually warned when purchasing the ticket if it’s in a particularly high / steep section.
i agree that the O2 is worse. I don’t mind heights but I really don’t like shimmying along the higher up rows there as I does feel like you could fall and tumble down!

I went to a theatre performance of Hamilton in Glasgow last year and I'd never been to that theatre before so I didn't realise there was another level above the balcony unlike Edinburgh playhouse, my mistake for not checking more thoroughly i suppose. I'd left it late to book and the very highest level was the only one that had seats left together but I didn't realise until we got there just how high it was. I was glad we were a few rows back because I think I would have genuinely struggled to walk to my seat on the front row with only a low-ish barrier in front. I didn't make a drama or ask to move, once the show starts and you relax into it you sort of forget to be scared.

The 02 is much worse than Wembley, I wouldn't say Wembley feels steep at all. St James park has some really steep areas too

Books seats at the top of a stadium and moans it’s high 😂 Jesus wept

For anyone who genuinely has a fear of heights, the website 'a view from my seat' has photos that really help you see what you'll be able to see. You can search by venue.

I don’t think its the height that is the problem but the number of stairs you have to climb and how steep they are.

Didn’t a man fall and died at an Oasis concert last year?

Edit:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdjl71758ro

I booked the top level for a Biffy Clyro concert at the O2 as it was the only ones left. The seats were only 4 rows back in that tier and there were clear warnings about the height at the booking stage. I absouletly do not have a problem with heights and yet up there I did!
I think it was the climbing up the few steps and then going along the row that made my legs go weak.
I would never book that level ever again.
What made it worse was everyone remained seating because it felt too dangerous to stand and yet there was one person on the front row of this top tier standing totally blocking my view. Luckily we could go a few seats along to an empty bit and had a good view.
So yes, its not the view that will send you funny, it's the climb and going along the row with nothing to hold on to thats the problem.

I went to see Take That in Glasgow (first Circus tour) our seats were so high and steep it was awful (I have an inner ear problem which causes terrible dizziness). There were seats lower down so I asked if they remained empty could we move to them. The guy I talked to came back after a few minutes and moved us to the box next to the press, so we were directly opposite the stage with an amazing view. It was fantastic, we were so grateful to him, what a kind man. And there was no queue for the toilets!