UPFRONT/LISTEN
Down in Front!
Is it OK to stand at a concert when others are sitting?
YOU GET your tickets scanned, you settle into your seats, the band starts to play and ... the fans in front of you stand up and block your view. When ticket prices can often creep into three figures, that’s a lot of money not to be able to enjoy the show the way you want. For many older concertgoers, that way is seated.
But standing has long been common behavior at rock and pop music concerts, and your ticket does not guarantee other patrons will not obstruct your view. “If most of the crowd is standing, we do not address or prohibit any guest from doing so,” says MacKenzie Juday, director of guest experience at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California. So what should you do?
So what should you do?
You can ask the person in front of you to sit down, advises Ray Waddell, chief content director of Oak View Group Media & Conferences. “Generally, fans will unite together to let somebody know they’re out of line,” he says.
You might take the matter up with an usher or, in some venues, security personnel. “If there are only a few guests standing and the rest of the crowd is seated, our staff would approach and kindly ask those guests to sit down,” Juday says.
If all else fails, you can ask for a new seat. “There may be circumstances,” Juday says, “in which it is appropriate to relocate the guests.” —Ed Condran