What is it like being in the pit at a concert

If you want your concert experience up close and personal, pit tickets are the way to go. These tickets buy you a spot in the orchestra pit area just in front of the stage. No doubt you'll hear the music and have a great view of the performers, but these tickets may cost you dearly and the experience won't please everyone.

Pit tickets are a feature of rock concerts but the name has roots in ballet and opera, where an orchestra provides music. The orchestra musicians are positioned in a lowered area, or pit, in front of the stage to keep the view of the performance unobstructed. If you buy a pit ticket to a concert, you may or may not be in a lowered area, but you certainly will be right in front of the stage. These tickets sometimes are called orchestra or front-area tickets.

Music fans buy pit tickets because the area in front of the stage is where the action is -- an adventure waiting to happen. Once in a great while, a venue puts seats in the pit area and expects pit ticket holders to stay seated like everybody else, but most often, it's a place where people stand up, press toward the stage, dance about with arms upraised and scream lyrics at the tops of their lungs. Pit tickets are favored by the young but also purchased by die-hard fans of any age.

Don't look for a seat assignment on pit tickets. They usually are standing-room only and/or "festival seating." This means seats or standing spaces are fought for rather than assigned -- sometimes creating stress and occasionally chaos. Perhaps the worst incident relating to festival seating occurred on December 3, 1979, at the Who’s concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati. Ticket holders rushed the stadium doors to try to get the best positioning. The pushing, shoving mob left 11 fans dead of asphyxiation and dozens injured. As a result, Cincinnati banned festival seating for several decades.

The procedure for buying and using pit tickets varies among venues as do the prices. If separate pit tickets are offered, they likely are expensive. For some events, such as Country Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin, you purchase a Pit Pass and exchange it for an armband at the festival. No food, drink, bags or chairs are allowed. For others, such as Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball Tour, pit tickets (called "forward barricade area" tickets) are awarded on a lottery system. Anyone with a general-admission ticket may enter once he swaps his ticket for an armband. Armband numbers are selected before the show and the winners line up in the order called to enter the pit.

While some music fans swear by the pit as the ultimate concert experience, others prefer the relative serenity of an assigned seat. Still others -- generally punk rock or heavy metal fans -- head for the mosh pit, a place where you can listen to music while dancing and bumping against other dancers. Don't be surprised to find people shoving, punching, kicking and slamming into one another in a mosh pit, so stay out if that's not your scene.

Matt Meusel, R1 Features Editor
December 1, 2017

Sweating. Dehydrated. Feet aching. Sounds terrible, right? Some people would call this a good time—a great time. Especially if they’re at a concert.

These are just some of the things that come with a General Admission (GA) ticket to a concert or music festival nowadays.

Being in the mosh pit or knowing there’s a possibility that your favorite artist might crowd-surf over you has made the GA ticket quite popular, especially among teens.

The downside to these tickets is that you must stand for several hours. If you step out of place to go to the bathroom or take a breath of fresh air, the consequences are clear—you’ll lose your spot.

A GA ticket gets you into what some know as “the pit,” the standing-room-only section where, if you want a good spot, you’ll either have to get there incredibly early or physically force yourself to the front. Otherwise, it’s very possible that you’ll be hundreds of feet away from the stage.

Take Kanye West’s concert last September at Madison Square Garden. Kanye’s stage was actually above the crowd of GA ticket-holders in the pit. Since people were literally on top of each other trying to get a good view of Kanye, many were hit by countless elbows as arms extended above the mass of heads to get clear photos and videos.

So why would people go this route? First of all, it’s very likely that a GA ticket is much cheaper than buying an actual seat, something that benefits most high school or college students who don’t have a ton of cash.

But beyond price, many people will choose to buy the GA ticket over an actual seat, which seems to be a bit strange. An actual seat means you can leave and go to the bathroom and know your seat will still be there when you get back. You can still go crazy and jump around with your friends when the beat drops. And you can still have a very good view.

But people have different interpretations of what a good or close seat is.

Some say that if you aren’t a few feet away from the stage, there’s no point of even being at the concert.

Others say they want a secure seat and a decent view of the stage because they don’t want sweaty strangers bumping into them every 20 seconds.

It’s easy to see why some want the GA ticket: It’s every person for themselves when it comes to getting a good view, and there’s a thrill to going to the extremes for their favorite artists.

This debate will continue as long as GA tickets are sold. These tickets may seem priceless to some, but for this reporter and concert-goer, it just doesn’t seem worth it to get pushed, shoved and cursed at by strangers just because you’re trying to claim some space—space you paid for.

What exactly is a general admission concert? Well, when you get a concert ticket, you are either assigned a seat or a section. When you have a specific seat, you get all warm and cozy in your spot and stay put. When you have general admission ticket, you are normally assigned a section: balcony, floor, etc. Sometimes there’s seating (but it’s not preassigned), but normally you’re there to try to fight your way to the front.

Say goodbye to personal your personal space. The lovely (maybe sweaty) people around you are going to be your close buds for the night. They can be some of the best and worst concerts, depending on your preference. On one hand, you have a chance to get close to the stage and being closer to your favorite band than you’ve ever dreamed. On the other hand, you have to deal with insane amounts of sweaty (often drunk) strangers who will invade your boundaries and shove you in every direction. If that sounds like your dream vacation, I applaud you.

5 Tips For Surviving A General Admission Concert

Timing is EVERYTHING

If you want to be in the front row, you need to get to the venue early. That’s right, early early. You’ll most likely have to get to the venue in the morning or early afternoon (depending on the popularity of the band). That means you’re going to be standing in line for a while. If a band is really popular, you might need to put on your party pants and get to the venue at 6 AM. In that case, make sure you’re prepared. Don’t forget to bring food, water, the right clothes, etc. I recommend bringing an external phone charger. That way you won’t have to worry about your phone dying. Bring some cash (just in case there are vendors outside). And if it’s hot out, bring sunscreen!! If you’re going to be there a while, bring some some sort of entertainment. Maybe a book, a magazine, some cards… but make sure it’s compact and fits in your bag! This is my favorite cross body bag, meaning you can keep it close and it’s comfortable.

Drink Water!

Ok, I know I sounds like a total Mom. But it’s vital. Dehydration isn’t fun, it blows. If you don’t stay hydrated, your energy will dwindle and you won’t last all day/night. Drink water while you wait in line and be sure to bring some cash to buy a water bottle or two. A lot of venues won’t let you bring one in. If you’re going to be in a sea of people, you’re going to get hot & sweaty. So don’t be silly, drink some water!

The Shoes

One major concert no no – cute, but uncomfortable shoes. Unless you’re sitting, don’t wear heels. I can’t tell you how many girls I’ve seen struggling because they wore some sky high platforms. Wear something comfortable! You’re going to be on your feet for a while and it will help you stand your ground in the crowd! I highly recommend wearing closed toe shoes (boots or tennis shoes) so your little tootsies don’t get trampled.

Stand Your Ground

If someone says “I’m trying to get to my friends” or “I’m looking for my boyfriend”… it’s probably a lie. Stand, your, ground. As soon as you find your spot, you need to establish dominance. People are going to try to push their way in front of you to make it closer. There’s no space for more people, so if you let someone go in front of you… you’re going to lose your spot. Spread out your legs a little and get your power stance on! But, make sure you’e polite and respectful of other people’s space.

Don’t Be Lame

What’s the definition of “Lame”? That kid who tried to push in front of you to get to their invisible mom in the crowd… that’s lame. Respect people’s space. Don’t cut in line. Don’t ruthlessly elbow people. Be respectful. Everyone is there for the same reason. If you didn’t get in line at the crack of dawn and can’t make it to the front, accept the mild defeat and enjoy the show. Don’t spend an hour shoving people (who waited) trying to hose their space.

At the end of the day, concerts are amazing. There’s something to be said about getting into a giant crowd of your musical peers and enjoying a show. It’s kind of like an unspoken bond. Don’t forget to follow these steps the next time you’re planning on going to a show. And above all else… ENJOY YOURSELF!