Concert Preparation: Practical & Safety Tips

Did you manage to get tickets to Coldplay or Taylor Swift concerts? The thought of attending a concert definitely leaves you feeling quite starstruck, especially if you haven’t caught any others that happened recently. Many others like yourself are also equally excited over the prospect of seeing your favourite performer perform live at the venue, and it’s going to be quite a packed occasion.

Source: @coldplay / Instagram

So before you daydream about seeing them in action on the day itself, you might want to lay out a detailed plan for when that day finally arrives. It’s going to be a pretty long event and you’d want to be well-prepared for the whole shebang. Here are some useful tips you should definitely take to heart.

Before the Concert

Check Out the Floor Plan

If you are going to the Coldplay concert, the organisers have already laid out the overall floor plan for the November show, which you can find here. It’s always a good idea to check out the floor plan, both for the concert and the venue itself, so you can get a “lay of the land,” so to speak. That way, you’ll know which entrance or exit to use before and after the event, where the bathrooms are located, and where the nearest emergency exits are as well. All of these will be very important – especially when it comes to the bathroom!

Moreover, once the venue starts to fill up with other eager fans, it can be a little tricky to find your designated zone. It doesn’t help if the concert is held at night; you’d want to plan ahead so you can arrive as early as possible. For standing zone ticketholders, an early arrival also means that you could be a lot closer to the stage to see your favourite performer up close!

Make Sure You Have Your Ticket

It’s easy to get hyped up over a concert once the day comes, but you’ll still want to keep your wits about you before you leave the house. Of significant importance is to check that you have your ticket with you, physical or otherwise. Make sure you also double-check in advance if either the physical and/or soft copy are accepted. The last thing you want is to arrive at the entrance, only to find that you’ve either left your ticket behind or the organisers don’t accept digital copies. Don’t make that costly mistake!

Plan Your Transportation

Getting there early means being able to get a prime seat to watch the concert, unless the seats are already assigned when your purchase tickets. It also means avoiding long, winding jams that could inevitably delay you. In most cases, ticket booths and gates are only open for a specified amount of time; if you miss that window, there goes your ticket!

Familiarize yourself with the traffic flow in that area. If there’s a jam, how long is the delay? Are there shortcuts you can take to cut down your travel time? How do you deal with unexpected accidents or delays? You might not be able to account for every circumstance, but having a good plan in place can still be beneficial.

It’s also important to have one if you’re travelling via public transportation or using e-hailing services. For public transportation, take note of when is the last bus or train/LRT/MRT; for e-hailing, make sure you call early and have sufficient balance to pay for the trip.

Have an Early Meal

Concerts are loud and long affairs; Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is said to span three hours, while Coldplay concerts tend to go between one to two hours in length. You’d better make sure you head there with a full belly so you don’t have sudden cravings barely halfway through the show. As such, make sure you have a sufficient meal that can see you through the entire concert.

Don’t stuff yourself with too much food, however, as that could end up backfiring if you suddenly feel ill midway through. At the same time, don’t have too little that it can only keep you feeling full until you reach the venue. Moderation is key!

Bring Essential Items

Have important items with you at all times, as they may come in handy. For example, some spare cash can be helpful if you can’t get an e-hailing ride and have to rely on a taxi (be careful not to get scammed with a high price for the rides to and fro).

Besides your smartphone, these can include:

• Hand sanitizer
• Sanitising/anti-bacterial wipes
• Spare masks
• Fully charged power bank & charging cable
• Wallet/purse with sufficient cash & your IC
• A full water bottle
• A hair tie (if your hair is long)
• Chewing gum or candy
• Alternatively, bring snacks or a healthy power bar
• Medications (if you need them)

Double-check your bag before you leave to make sure you have everything. Avoid bringing anything of significant value to reduce the risk of theft (and the risk of being harmed during a possible theft).

Are You Going with Friends?

Making plans with your friends or relatives who are attending can make the concert a less stressful and more memorable experience. For one, you can make carpool arrangements so that everyone can go together without needing to spend more on fuel and other expenses. You can then repay your friend for fuel when the concert is over.

It’s also a lot easier to make plans for the concert beforehand. You might be able to share your previous concert experiences and what to do or not do, as well as best practices to observe while you’re there. Equally important is that you can all look out for each other; in loud, crowded places like this, there’s safety in numbers.

Accessibility Concerns

Source: disabledspectator.com

Are you a less mobile person or have a loved one who is? Going to a concert can be especially challenging if you are, especially when you consider what accessibility options are available to you:

• Are there special seats/areas for disabled persons?
• Are there wheelchair ramps for accessing your seating area and the nearest washrooms/exits?
• Are there avenues for blind persons to move around?
• Are there attendants who can help you get around certain areas?
• Will there be someone who’ll tag along with you to help you get around?

These are a few questions you’ll need to ask yourself early on, even as early as before you purchase the concert tickets. Make sure you carefully consider all these questions and think of other concerns you might have, in detail.

Wear Comfortable Clothing

The concert is going to get hot, and not just in terms of the performance. Be sure to wear loose-fitting clothes that are made of thin, breathable materials, as it can quickly get warm with so many people concentrated in one place. Add to that the hot weather Malaysia has been experiencing lately, and you’ll want to avoid feeling overwhelmed while wearing layered clothing.

If you might be worried about a sudden shower when the concert is an outdoor event, bring a bag that can fit a folded-up jacket or sweater. Better yet, bring a portable umbrella – or bring both.

Looking After Loved Ones

If you’re a caregiver, you’ll need to ensure you have a replacement around to look after your loved one while you attend the concert. You can’t just leave them on their own, after all, especially if they may be infirm and can’t do things for themselves as well as they used to. Discuss this with either a trusted friend or a family member and see if you can get help on this. Make sure they know your loved one’s schedule, including medication times.

During the Concert

Don’t Rush In

Once you get to the concert venue, try not to rush headlong into the venue area. Make sure you have your ticket checked at the gate then calmly enter the concert area and head to your designated seating/standing area. There’s really no rush if you’re early. Even if you’re late, rushing in could get you hurt, such as when you accidentally trip on something as you’re trying to get in.

There’s also going to be a long line of people who are anxious to get in, too. Move at their pace and have patience; if you can squeeze through the crowd, be courteous about it. In the meantime, take note of where the exits are based on the concert’s floor plan; identifying routes early can be of great help if anything should happen.

Have a Buddy System with Friends

In case you’re worried that you’ll get separated from your friends, a buddy system might be a useful practice to keep everyone safe. If there are four of you, you can arrange yourself in two separate pairs to stick with each other. Stick close to one another so you can keep each other safe.

You can also set a designated waiting area once the concert is done. All of you can gather there and subsequently depart together.

Wear a Mask

It’s best to wear a mask at all times while you’re at the concert. You still are at risk of getting Covid or influenza while outdoors, so it’s a good idea to stay safe even though we’ve long since entered the Covid-19 endemic phase. Make sure to wear your mask properly and cover your nose and mouth; bring some spares, too, just in case.

Maintain Distance with Others

In outdoor settings, it’s recommended that you stay at least 6 feet, or 2 meters, away from other people. Large outdoor events are generally safer than indoor ones, depending on the amount of space available between people, but keeping your distance is a good precautionary measure to take.

Try to keep a distance from people who might be sick. The least you can do is prioritise your personal health.

Maintain Your Hygiene

It’s hard to avoid touching any surfaces if possible so be sure you wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. As we advised earlier, make sure you have hand sanitizer with you in case you can’t reach a washroom. Be sure that it has an alcohol content of at least 60 percent.

Washing with soap and water is still the best way to keep clean, but hand sanitizer is a good substitute. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly once you’re home to remove any leftover sanitizer on your hands.

Stay Hydrated

Be sure to stay hydrated as often as you can. As we advised earlier, have a bottle of water handy to quench your thirst throughout the concert. If the organizers provide a free water bottle, take one; your bottle might not last the whole night. As your body loses water, not replenishing it can lead to dehydration, which can make you feel faint after some time.

You also run the risk of getting heat stroke if you don’t stay hydrated. If you do start to feel faint or are feeling warmer than usual, make sure you know where the nearest exit is so you can get some rest.

Take a Break

It can get really loud and busy once the concert goes in full swing, and you’ll no doubt be having the time of your life jamming along to the songs being performed. Excitement can only carry you so far, however, and you might find yourself feeling spent after cheering and dancing throughout the show.

If you’re starting to feel tired, don’t push yourself any further. Take a seat, take a bathroom break, and have a snack and a drink. The more you push yourself and ignore your body’s protests, the more tired you’ll be even after the concert ends. You might end up spraining your leg or hurting yourself in some other way.

Some fans even suggest taking the opportunity to use the bathroom, take your medications, or relax when the band or artist performs a song that’s not very high up on your favourite list. The extra few minutes you can have to catch your breath can be beneficial.

After the Concert

Have Some Patience

Once the concert comes to its close, don’t immediately make a beeline for the exit. Everyone else will probably be doing the same thing, and the pathways can get crowded. Much like when you first arrived, don’t rush it. Take some time to rest your legs, check that your items are still with you, or regroup with your friends at a convenient spot. Wait for the majority of concert goers to leave before you make a move yourself and you might get out a lot sooner than you thought.

Clean Up After Yourself

If you have any empty disposable water bottles, wrappers, or food packets, take them with you and throw them in the nearest trash receptacle. Take one last opportunity to use the washroom, too. You could wash your face and your hands just before you leave. If you brought a spare change of clothes, get a quick change before leaving.

Stay Safe

Remember to maintain your distance from other concert goers and keep your mask on at all times until you finally get home. As long as you keep practising these safety measures, you’ll be fine. If you might be feeling a little under the weather after the concert, get a self-test done as a precaution.

Rest Up!

Once you’re home, take a warm bath, relax for a while, and then get an early night. If you’re working the next day, you’d want to get much-needed rest to face the day ahead. Avoid late-night snacking or loud settings for the next 24 hours or so; if your work environment is loud, try to minimize significant exposure to these settings to prevent possible hearing loss.

Even Caregivers Need Time-off

As a caregiver, it’s not selfish to want to take some time off for yourself, like going to a concert you love. At Homage, our highly qualified Care Professionals can keep your senior loved ones companied with a duration as short as one hour, giving you time to enjoy yourself.

Download our app now to find out more and start booking quality care for your loved one!