Travelling for concerts: A necessary or overrated experience?

Over the last few years, we have seen an increase in fans wanting to travel to different countries to see their favourite singers and performers. However, there have been a great discourses created around this. This has especially been prominent within Taylor Swift's fandom. Many fans have argued that having fans travel to their country takes away opportunities from other fans, which can be understood in the recent scarcity to concert tickets for some gigs. However, I believe that there are extraordinary positives you can experience traveling to different countries and places for concerts and it is a worthwhile investment.

Since 2016 I have travelled to over 7 countries for different concerts and I don't regret a single one of them. The first concert I travelled to was when I was 13 and I went to Lisbon, Portugal. Initially, the main reason me and my mum decided to go to Lisbon was because it was easier and cheaper to get tickets to go there. Although the artist I went to see was only a new up-and-coming artist, it alleviated a lot of stress getting tickets for another country rather than in London. Traveling to that concert has still got to be one of the best days I have experienced in my life and a memory I will cherish forever.

Travelling to different places for concerts gave me a whole new experience of different places and cultures. I always found it fascinating how concerts were run so differently in different countries. On top of that, I always loved having the chance to interact with fans from different backgrounds and the different ways they would communicate their passion for music. I loved getting the opportunity to talk to so many different people and this opportunity did a world of good for my confidence in social settings. Especially when I was visiting a country where English was not the first language I learned how to navigate my way through different situations.

The furthest I have gone to a concert is New York and Toronto. A part of me did feel like I was slightly mad for making such a short visit so far away just for a concert. However, those moments where such big events within my teenage years and made it such a special and memorable time. These concerts were usually the only thing I saved my money for at the time and the main thing I would look forward to all year and I genuinely believe that having something to work towards had such a positive impact on my mental health as a teenager.

Without these concerts, it is unlikely that I would have travelled to so many different places, especially in my teen years. The memories I made both planning and travelling are something I will always hold onto. It allowed me to explore different cultures experiences of music and way of life. It broadened my perspective and taught me so many social skills. Travelling for concerts is an undeniable positive experience that I believe we should all experience at least once.