Concerts are so much fun! Nothing beats the feeling you get when you see your favorite artist take the stage. That being said, it has taken me years of trial and error to figure out what I absolutely need to take to a concert. I went from taking a purse full of stuff to my first concert when I was 15, to only taking my cell phone and wallet to the last one I attended.
Here are my concert must-haves:
Cash
Personally, i’m more conscious of my spending when I have cash, because I can get a little too “swipe happy” when I only have my card. Even though most merch booths take card now, it’s always nice to have some cash on hand. Most of the time, merch booths have a separate line for those paying in cash. Why not take an easy step to potentially cut your time in the merch line down? If you are at a large venue that has concessions, it’s easier to have cash too. Speaking of merch and concessions, if you have the opportunity to tip those working — do it!
Power Bank
This is pretty self explanatory. I used to take at least 5 power banks to a concert, but now I have a fancy phone AND fancy power bank, so I don’t really need to charge often. If you are waiting in line for a general admission show, you need to be able to charge your phone twice. Once while waiting in line, and another while watching the opening act(s) play.
Small bag or fanny pack.
Please, don’t be the person with the backpack in the pit. Venues have gotten stricter with bag policies, so I would suggest a small crossbody purse or a fanny pack. I like being able to keep my bag in front of me to avoid getting my stuff stolen.
If you take a bag, here’s what to keep inside:
- Scrunchie or hair tie
- Gum
- Mint(s)
- Small hand sanitizer
- Band-aid
- Wallet
- Sharpie (you never know when you will get the opportunity to get an autograph)
- Pad or tampon (you might not need it, but someone else might)
My #1 concert must-have is your TICKET!
Because if you don’t have it, none of the things I previously mentioned matter.
Plus it would suck, big time.