I saw two artists live last year, both at Wembley Arena. In February, I got to see the wonderful James Bay and in October I saw my favourite group ever, Simply Red, for the first time. Ever since I was a little girl (around eight years old), going to concerts has been a huge part of my life. I can’t help but notice how many things have changed about going to concerts these days.
Dressing up similar to the artist has become such a popular trend that wasn’t there back in the day. While I prefer to wear the artist or band’s favourite colour, I don’t feel the need to dress up extravagantly, as to me, the night is about the artist and not myself, in my opinion.
I also used to only go to one show night during the tour and now I see people going for multiple nights and I truly wonder how they can afford this? I know people who find concert tickets for one night expensive so then spending two, three nights is just baffling to me, as is travelling to a further venue, booking a hotel and staying the night, on top of concert expenses.
When it comes to merchandise, I noticed at both concerts that I went to, that the quality of the products being sold doesn’t really match the price. I wish they would still produce and give free glossy concert programmes instead. I also actively avoid watching any concert videos on social media beforehand as I don’t want to spoil the experience. Yet they are extremely useful to watch, especially if you are unable to attend a certain concert.
That all being said, I am just happy that concerts get so much importance still, in 2025 and AI hasn’t been able to ruin the experience for us, just yet. I recently saw videos of the popular boy band Backstreet Boys, performing at the Las Vegas venue, Sphere. Their residency at the venue has stunning virtual reality visuals that serve as a jaw dropping backdrop during their performances. Not only is it wild that a popular boy band from the 90s are still together performing, but to team up with virtual reality technology definitely makes this concert a unique experience.
So far this year, I’m looking forward to seeing Anastacia in Autumn. While I love a good, old fashioned concert, I’m intrigued to see how things might change with live music going forward, especially with technology. I just hope it won’t be too much of a drastic change and that concerts will always be experiences we can look forward to. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Do you enjoy going to concerts and have you noticed these trends?
Jem Girl at the Piano 