To warn you about the way outdoor concerts are going?

[MontanaMountains]

I love an outdoor concert, or at least I did. I've been going to outdoor concerts for decades and have seen many different bands and artists. It's a lovely tradition of taking a picnic, camping chairs, a blanket incase it gets chilly, maybe a candle in a jar for a bit of atmosphere.

The first I noticed things were changing was a concert at Ragley Hall in 2019. No picnics allowed, no drinks allowed except a small bottle of water per guest. This is all so they can squeeze more money out of you through drink/food sales. At least we could take chairs!

I've just received a concert information email about the Michael Buble concert I'm going to next month. No chairs allowed, no food, no drinks (not even a bottle of water), tiny A4 size bag allowed per person. You may take a rug to sit on but may be asked to remove it when the concert starts. You can buy food and drink from vendors at the venue.

This has taken all the enjoyment out of this event for me. I'd really rather not go. I'm late 50s with a history of back problems and DH is mid 60s, and the thought of standing for hours holds zero appeal. I'd happily return/sell my tickets but it's no refunds and no transfer of tickets. We're stuffed.

I've got another outdoor concert booked in August and I'm guessing the same 'rules' will apply. Sad as it is but I think our outdoor event days are over.

Just warning anyone with a similar history that things have changed, so think carefully before you book.

So why doesn't the same apply to outdoor theatre performances or outdoor Proms concerts? Warwick Castle holds a huge Proms concert and people often take elaborate picnics - I've even seen the odd candelabra (oh the fire hazard!).

Beeen going to outdoor gigs for best part of 20
years. Never once took a picnic or a chair 😳

MontanaMountains I'd appreciate an update on the seat situation if you do go. I'm off the see Tears for Fears at Warwick Castle and, as they aren't a particularly jiggly duo, had thought I might bring a chair. I wonder if there will be any to rent?

There's a big difference between say the BBC Radio 2 festival in a day in Hyde Park & a hard core gig!
If you're there to watch 4 or 5 bands from lunch time until 10:00 surely you're going to want to sit down at some point!

The queues for food there on Saturday were awful, 2 girls sat in front of us on a picnic blanket one went off to get food, she was gone for over an hour, leaving the other girl alone, she was getting more and more worried, checking her phone, stranding up looking for her friend! And then when she arrived with the food it looked awful!

I have always loved the Hyde Park BST events but honestly if this is the way it's going I won't bother!

We went to one recently where you could take picnics, a litre of drink in as well as chairs etc.
It was an absolute PITA walking around having to pick through peoples 'patches' and tripping over chair legs.
We didn't take chairs and every time we sat down someone would come and plonk their chairs right in front of us.
Couldn't hear the music very well for the sound of people chatting amongst themselves and even more annoyingly loads of people started packing up their stuff before the end and heading off to get their cars out quickly.

Sounds like picnic concerts might be your thing. The music isn’t quite the same quality but the point is to take a lavish picnic and make merry. They actively encourage tables, chairs and decorations and the grander the food the better

In my defence, this started after an outdoor concert in Verona where we were the only people without a candle. Some kindly Italians sat near us took pity and gave us one so we weren't left out. Wish I'd never mentioned the blooming candle now. Stupid candle.

@MontanaMountains I am an events organiser. Few points:

• if you have a medical condition or are unwell on the day (ideally before) ask for access to the accessible viewing area where chairs will be set up. We can’t let everyone bring them in as it changes the capacity and impacts an evacuation (rules around h&s have changed in recent years for obvious reasons)
• f&b; we’ve been out of work for almost two years and artists are incredible expensive to book. The only profit for the organiser often comes from f&b. You’ll find that where the talent is less expensive (as in some of the examples you’ve listed) the rules will be different

ultimately the world has changed and the vast majority of the rules you see are:

• to comply with latest safety regs
• to ensure we make enough money to keep the lights on

i hope you can get in touch with the event and get the viewing platform sorted (tip if it’s already full ask on the day there are always some kept for walk ups and find a steward they should help you) and enjoy the event

I didn't know it was a picnic concert, it wasn't advertised as such. I've been to others at the same venue years ago which were great and not picnicy!

I'd feel a bit of a fraud booking an accessible ticket.

You wouldn't be a fraud as it's only inaccessible because it involves standing for hours. I love an outdoor concert but I've never seen anyone really famous so people have always been able to bring seats and blankets. I don't think I could stand for a whole evening. I certainly wouldn't enjoy it.

I like ShowofHands idea about different zones. I wonder if anyone has tried it. It would need extra security staff I guess but it would make for a better experience.

I've just received a concert information email about the Michael Buble concert I'm going to next month. No chairs allowed, no food, no drinks (not even a bottle of water), tiny A4 size bag allowed per person. You may take a rug to sit on but may be asked to remove it when the concert starts. You can buy food and drink from vendors at the venue.

Totally agree, fortunately we saw the rules before we booked Buble tickets. We can only hope that ticket sales are hit hard enough by it that they have to re-consider. We have certainly stopped booking concerts of this type, as they aren’t the pleasurable experience they used to be with these new rules.

Concert venues banning food and drink and then selling shit /mediocre food at inflated prices to a captive audience, well predates terrorist attacks, so it really isn't all about safety.
I remember buying an expensive but horrendous still-partially-frozen pizza at an outdoor concert in 2006.

But OP isnt setting up like being in a living room, more like being in your garden, which is exactly the point of an outdoor event!

Last one I went to was a play at Warwick Castle it was stopped after 20mins due to rain. We weren't offered an alternative ticket or anything which I thought was very poor - the stage should have been set up for the weather. We are in UK! The audience was appropriately attired in raincoats etc...and we all brought our own seats and picnics. Anyway, never been to one since.

www.aegpresents.co.uk/faqs/tears-for-fears-faqs-summer-2022

Sorry to break this to you Hobo, but exactly the same restrictions apply.

That’s what your jacket and the ground is for?! Honestly TITP, TRNSMT, all day Coldplay, runrig, pink,Ed Sheeran and got Texas booked for next month and not once did I ever even think about a chair or a picnic. My mind has been blown tonight.

also the person with the umbrella comment? It rains you get wet. You stood in front of me and put a brolly up I’d break the thing. How bloody rude!

Eek it sounds no fun at all

late stage capitalism is killing all the fun, air travel, concerts, eating out are all rubbish now. Maybe I have been unlucky, but I am heading for the simple life instead. This weekend a river swim and I might bring a pack of Jaffa cakes 🤗😉

… and candle in a jar!

I went to the Hyde park venue a while ago to see Taylor swift and we definitely couldn't take food in, we had to eat ours in the queue (as were others). Think it was 7 years ago so it's nothing new.

The only place i definitely could take a picnic and chairs was a classical outdoor proms thing in Leicestershire

@Travis1 I agree, I put a carrier bag in my pocket to sit on and take an empty water bottle to refill. We eat before going in always. I've done 3 outdoor gigs so far this season and none allowed chairs or food

I think it depends on the type of performance.
Classical, proms and theater, acts tend to allow patrons to bring chairs, picnics etc..
Pop, rock and dance, no, no.

£10 a time to hire a chair at the venue near me.

just a slight tip though, if you go to Tesco and buy yourself one of those nice boxes of wine. Very carefully remove the bag and tap from inside the box. Wrap the wine bag inside a nice chunky sweater in the bottom of your bag. When you’re having your bag checked they will prod the jumper and won’t find the bag 😉

Have you ever organised anything like this? Venues make next to nothing on the tickets, the majority of profits come from the extras. People don’t organise these things out of the goodness of their heart. In my case, it was to help pay for the upkeep of a listed building owned by a charity.

We didn’t allow camping chairs because it damaged the grass too much, it was a historic venue that the gardeners spent hours keeping immaculate. The first time we did it and allowed chairs, people set them up right at the front and refused to move blocking everyone else’s view. Alcohol was limited to stop people getting drunk and never glass. Only small bags because we didn’t have the time or staff to check through loads of big bags.

The last concert we booked, the only reason we were able to book tickets was because they had a small seating area up front. You had to buy some ridiculous package to get those seats, but we really wanted to see this particular show. I wouldn’t have been able to physically handle the general admission field area. There are almost no other shows that I would ever pay that kind of price so that is pretty much is out of the market.

this thread makes me feel less alone. Being old or less than perfectly healthy is not fun.

All organisers of public events are required to comply with equality laws. Many people simply cannot stand up for hours. Push back and use the law.

im the same dont usually got to an outdoors gig because i cant stand that long and i'll never get off the floor either

i wouldnt mind if they even say you can only sit on the edges if it makes everyoe feel better but they dont