Going to concerts alone...
- Kaitlyn Mckinney
- Dec 7, 2025
- 5 min read
Concerts are some of the best places to go alone, surrounded by a community of those with similar interests..
While some may argue that nothing can beat going to concerts with your friends - getting all jazzed up before hand, screaming the lyrics to your favourite songs - I think that going to concerts alone is just as great.
Being in Edinburgh means being in a great location to go to many concerts. With it being the capital of Scotland, if the artist doesnt preform here, then they most likely will be in Glasgow. This means that it is only a train away - but more on this later.
There are many reasons why you might go to a concert by yourself. Your friends might not have the same music taste, the tickets are too expensive for you all to go, or even you might just prefer to have the experience alone.
My reason for going to concerts alone a lot of the time is that I find it way to hard and time consuming to try and organise my friends to come along. With our vastly different schedules, it is almost impossible to schedule one evening together, even if it's months in the future.
Many of the concerts I have been to have been in Glasgow, and one of my favourite parts is the train ride over.
Watching the country speed along, whilst listeening to the music I love and will be hearing live later on, is one of the most theraputic experiences I have had. Being an introvert, this alone time is often needed before a concert, before being surrounded by tons of excited people all screaming.
I also talk to more concert-goers when I am on my own. When you are with your friends, an echo-chamber often forms, where you only talk to eachother. This is broken when you are by yourself, and most of the time I think many concert-goers are happy to start up a conversation.
I can't speak for past generations, but currently many folk seem to be too hesitant to strike up a conversation. Most of the time a little compliment ("Your outfit is amazing by the way") or a simple question about the artist ("So, what song are you wanting to hear the most?") will often spark up a simple conversation that can pass the time. This is particularly beneficial during the queue or between acts.
A simple conversation can make the entire experience so much more exciting. You may have just met a new friend, or just had a nice interaction - it's worth the time.
While it definitely is intimidating to approach a stranger, a deep breath and a smile goes a long way. Most people that you will aproach are not going to be mean, they are likely looking for a conversation too but are too scared themselves. Even if the person you did approach didnt want to talk, they will just politely put a stop to the interaction, they wont (hopefully) scream in your face.
This is what Taylor Swift's Era's Tour was fantastic for. The explosion in popularity of friendship bracelets gave everyone a common ground to start a conversation with. It also gave you a purpose to go up to someone, specifically to trade a bracelet, but a lovely conversation would often occur after the transaction.
Going to concerts alone opens up a new type of freedom. There isn't anyone else to worry about but yourself, and this is freeing. You can fully immerse yourself in the music, boogie and dance without a care (it's not like you'll be seeing any of these people again (and even if you did, they wouldn't recognise you)).
Some tips for solo concert goers:
Travel: If you are in Edinburgh and are planning to visit Glasgow - most concert venues will finish before the last train back to Edinburgh. There is normally a good abount of time to get back to either Central or Queen's street station in time for the train. The exception to this is Barrowlands. They have a slightly later finish time typically - meaning that you will not make the last train.
However - the 900 citylink bus runs throughout the night, so you aren't stranded if you cannot make the train. Like most things, plan ahead and look at timetables before you go.
Schedule: as you are on your own, there is no one to make you late. You can line up when you want, go where you want, and leave when you want. There is no waiting for someone to get ready, or making sure you don't loose them in the post-concert crowds. This makes the concert so much more relaxing to go to as you work to the time your comfortable with.
Lookout on social media!! Often there will be other people going alone who will post on the likes of Reddit and X, asking to meet with other fellow concert goers. This is a double edged sword. It can be extremely beneficial for getting to know other people before the concert frenzy, finding a group that yuo may be able to hang out with. However, be cautious, as not everyone is who they pretend to be online. If you start getting a bad feeling, I would get out of the situation as soon as you can. You are there to enjoy the music, and if other people are taking away from that, they are not worth being around.
For some general concert advice;
Make sure you have a battery pack! If you know you are going to take a lot of photos and videos, try to bring a battery pack. The camera really saps the battey life out of your phone, and you do not want to be left without some form of communication.
Reme,ber during the concert to put the phone down too, part of the experine is the live nature of concerts - not every single moment has to be filmed.
Check the venues bag policy! This varies from venue to venue and you do not want to get caught out by it. Sometimes the security guard might let you off, but it isnt something I would gamble. Travel light if you can, especially if you are travelling.
Finally - have an open mind. Not everything can be perfect, so go into the experience wanting to have fun but going with the flow. Do not overly worry about something thats happened - and this is coming from a chronic over-thinker so I know the struggle - let it wash over you.
Stuff happens, but do not let it take away from you having a good time!
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