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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Standing in the seating area.

45 replies

Mylittlesandwich · 18/04/2023 19:15

Honestly not sure on this one.

Last night me and DH were at a big arena concert. We had chosen to sit rather than stand. I was so pleased we did as I injured my knee and would have not been able to stand for that length of time. The woman in front of us stood for the entire performance more or less. DH asked her if she would mind sitting as we couldn't see past her at all and she wasn't very polite when saying no.

What does Mumsnet think? Is it ok to stand when in a seated area of a venue and were we BU to ask her to sit?

OP posts:
MadisonAvenue · 18/04/2023 19:50

I was putting some tickets away yesterday, we were going to a talk with Debbie Harry and Christ Stein at Birmingham Town Hall which has unfortunately been cancelled in the last week, and obviously it’d be a seated event but the standard print on them states that people around you may stand.

For me it’s a given that people will stand in the seated area, the atmosphere is more muted if people are sitting and it’s much less enjoyable.

MadisonAvenue · 18/04/2023 19:51

*Chris Stein

Original poster
Mylittlesandwich · 18/04/2023 19:54

I think it would have made sense to me more if the whole venue was seated but it wasn't. There were hundreds of people standing.

OP posts:
ShirleyPhallus · 18/04/2023 19:56

If it’s a concert I’d assume everyone will be standing

Alexis7890 · 18/04/2023 19:58

Every arena concert I’ve been to everyone has stood up from the second the main performer comes on and stands the whole way through

itsnotyourfence · 18/04/2023 19:59

You can ask, but if you hadn’t hurt your knee would you still be sitting?

ThePoshUns · 18/04/2023 19:59

Even when seated most people stand, dance and sway when the main act comes on.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 18/04/2023 20:00

If its a concert of course everyone stands for majority of the show.

Comedy show etc people will usually stayed seated

JudgeRudy · 18/04/2023 20:00

If I was seated but thought I'd probably stand for a bit I'd take an aisle seat. I wouldn't dream of blocking someone's view no more than in the cinema or theatre

Isthisexpected · 18/04/2023 20:01

What type of concert? I went to David Gray and hardly anyone stood. I imagine everyone up on their feet for Coldplay.

LittleFreakJezebel · 18/04/2023 20:05

If it was a concert my expectation would be that everyone would be standing once the acts started, but I can see why that might be surprising if you have never had seating tickets before.

Lovingitallnow · 18/04/2023 20:06

There were signs at the Elton John concert saying he encouraged everyone to stand and dance and sing along so I suppose it depends on the concert.

DrMarciaFieldstone · 18/04/2023 20:07

People have always stood at every concert I’ve ever been to. An older couple tried shouting at a person next to me to sit down years ago, they were completely ignored.

People don’t sit at concerts, sorry.

Theraffarian · 18/04/2023 20:09

I would expect people to stand , it would be a sadly muted show that doesn’t get people on their feet .

DeflatedAgain · 18/04/2023 20:10

It depends on the concert to be honest. I went to a MJ tribute and the whole venue had seats only. Everyone was standing and dancing. Unlucky for me I had the only person wanting to sit right behind me and I had to move to the walkway for the rest of the show to be polite. Bit of a vibe killer 🤣

Womencanlift · 18/04/2023 20:12

I wouldn’t expect to sit down during a concert. Classical music yes but pop/rock no

Original poster
Mylittlesandwich · 18/04/2023 20:54

itsnotyourfence · 18/04/2023 19:59

You can ask, but if you hadn’t hurt your knee would you still be sitting?

On this occasion I would have as the people behind me were sitting so I wouldn't have blocked their view.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mylittlesandwich · 18/04/2023 20:56

Fair enough. We were polite in asking and didn't make a big deal out of it. I went to a show of a similar genre last year and the stewards asked people to sit if they were standing but that didn't happen last night.

OP posts:
Bluebells1970 · 18/04/2023 20:59

I've never sat in a seat at a concert apart from through the support act!

gogohmm · 18/04/2023 21:02

Everyone was seated at Genesis last year but then I was probably the youngest there Grin

Usually I book standing tickets if available

TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER · 18/04/2023 21:04

I was seated at Beyoncé and when we stood up to dance stewards asked us to sit down. They enforced it with everyone. It was in a stadium though so not sure if that’s different rules to arenas?

strawberry2017 · 18/04/2023 21:04

I would never want standing tickets because I like to be able to sit when I want to sit down, however I would stand when I want to. At concerts I think it's a given thay people will want to get up and dance.
Maybe next time book seats at the front of the seated area.

grumpycow1 · 18/04/2023 21:07

They usually have an accessible section at concerts, maybe you could have got a dr note to get seats there? Other than in this area I would expect people to stand at a concert even in the seats.

EscapeTheCastle · 18/04/2023 21:14

At the o2, up on level 4 where the seating is very, very steep we found most stayed seated thank goodness. I was so releaved as I was getting slight vertigo all the way up there. I did move seats though as I had the only standing person in the whole section in front of me doing that tragic arm in the air Instagram pose swaying about threatening to fall over.

DustyLee123 · 18/04/2023 21:17

I get a seat because I want to be able to see, and so I can go to the loo and come back to the same spot.
The last 2 concerts I went to everyone around was sitting, so I sat too, and the lead singer was motioning for people to stand, yet everyone stayed sat down. It killed the atmosphere for me.