• 69 things to take

What Should I Take to a Concert

Ticket, charged phone, ID, a way to pay and ear plugs first: what to take, part by part.

What Should I Take to a Concert

  1. Ticket, added to your phone's walletOpen it before you reach the door, while you still have a signal.
  2. Order confirmation, printed or savedNot a ticket, but it gives the box office something to look up.
  3. Photo IDSome shows check your age, or the name on the order, at the door.
  4. The card you bought the tickets withA box office may ask for it when you collect tickets.
  5. Fully charged phoneYour ticket, your ride home and your friends are all on it.
  6. Small bag that fits the venue's ruleBag rules differ by venue: read the venue's page or your ticket email first.
  7. Clear bag, where the venue asks for oneCheck before you buy one; not every venue wants it.
  8. Payment cardSome venues take no cash at the bars and stalls.
  9. A little cashFor a cloakroom, a parking lot or a stall that takes nothing else.
  10. Transit pass or fare for the trip homeSort it out before the show, not in the crowd leaving it.
  11. Note of the door time and your entranceThe time on a ticket may be when doors open, not when the music starts.
  12. Keys on a clip or in a zipped pocketA dark floor is the worst place to look for dropped keys.

Next step Pick what else goes in a small bagDraw a song for the trip there

All 69 things to take

To get in 12

  • A little cash For a cloakroom, a parking lot or a stall that takes nothing else.
  • The card you bought the tickets with A box office may ask for it when you collect tickets.
  • Clear bag, where the venue asks for one Check before you buy one; not every venue wants it.
  • Fully charged phone Your ticket, your ride home and your friends are all on it.
  • Keys on a clip or in a zipped pocket A dark floor is the worst place to look for dropped keys.
  • Note of the door time and your entrance The time on a ticket may be when doors open, not when the music starts.
  • Order confirmation, printed or saved Not a ticket, but it gives the box office something to look up.
  • Payment card Some venues take no cash at the bars and stalls.
  • Photo ID Some shows check your age, or the name on the order, at the door.
  • Small bag that fits the venue's rule Bag rules differ by venue: read the venue's page or your ticket email first.
  • Ticket, added to your phone's wallet Open it before you reach the door, while you still have a signal.
  • Transit pass or fare for the trip home Sort it out before the show, not in the crowd leaving it.

For the crowd 20

  • A friend's number on paper In case your phone runs out before you find each other.
  • Adhesive bandages for blisters For new shoes and a long night on your feet.
  • Belt bag or crossbody strap Hands free, and your things stay in front of you.
  • Fold-up tote for what you buy A shirt in a tote leaves both hands free.
  • Folding hand fan It fits in a back pocket and works without a battery.
  • Hair tie A full room is warmer than the street outside.
  • Last train time, written down Know how you are getting home before the encore starts.
  • Light jacket to tie round your waist Warm on the walk there, out of the way in the crowd.
  • Mints You will be singing into your friends' faces all night.
  • Money set aside for merchandise Decide the limit at home, before you see the stall.
  • Pocket pack of tissues For the restroom that has run out of paper by the encore.
  • Portable charger and its cable Photos, videos and a weak signal empty a battery fast.
  • Rubber band for a rolled poster It keeps the poster rolled until you are home.
  • Sealed bottle of water, if it is allowed Check first: some venues take bottles at the door.
  • Seat cushion, where the venue allows one For bench seats and long sets; check the size limit.
  • Shoes with closed toes You will stand for hours, and somebody will step on your foot.
  • Small binoculars, for seats far back Check the venue's list; some allow them and some do not.
  • Snack for the line Finish it before the door, unless your venue lets food in.
  • Space cleared on your phone Delete old videos before the show, not during the first song.
  • Wrist strap for your phone It holds on to the phone while you film with your arms up.

For your ears 6

  • Cord that joins a pair of ear plugs A plug that falls out hangs on the cord and is not lost on the floor.
  • Ear muffs for a child Muffs go over the whole ear and are easier for a small child to keep on.
  • Ear plug case on your key ring The pair you carry is the pair you use.
  • Foam ear plugs Cheap, small and easy to hand along the row.
  • Reusable ear plugs with a filter The washable kind sold for concerts; keep the pair in its case between shows.
  • Spare pair for a friend Someone in your group will ask for them by the second song.

For an outdoor show 14

  • Bandana For dust, sun on your neck or a wet forehead.
  • Blanket, where the lawn allows one Check the size limit; some venues set one.
  • Boots you do not mind ruining Grass turns to mud under a crowd.
  • Empty refillable bottle Some venues let an empty one in and have a tap inside; check yours.
  • Hat that stays on in a crowd A snug cap or a hat with a cord, for an afternoon set in the sun.
  • Insect repellent wipes Wipes, not a spray can, for a field at dusk.
  • Low folding chair, where the lawn allows one Check first: some lawns allow chairs and some ban them.
  • Paper sign with no stick If signs are allowed at all, the small flat kind is the one that gets in.
  • Picnic for before the gates open Eat outside, then take the basket back to the car.
  • Rain poncho It folds to the size of a wallet and gets in where umbrellas do not.
  • Small flashlight for the walk back A field used for parking has no lights.
  • Small soft cooler, where the venue allows one Check the size and what may go in it.
  • Sunscreen in a lotion or a stick Spray cans are on some venues' banned lists.
  • Warm layer for after dark An evening field cools quickly once the sun is down.

Leave at home 17

  • Leave at home: aerosol cans Hairspray and spray sunscreen are often taken at the bag check.
  • Leave at home: air horn or noisemaker The band brought the noise; venues often ban yours.
  • Leave at home: anything you could not bear to lose Crowds are hard on jewelry, cameras and good coats.
  • Leave at home: bag with many pockets Slow to search, and banned outright at some venues.
  • Leave at home: camera with a lens that comes off Often banned, and some artists rule out cameras of any kind.
  • Leave at home: confetti and glitter Things that can be thrown are on some banned lists.
  • Leave at home: drone Venues that publish a list tend to put flying devices on it.
  • Leave at home: glass bottles and cans Commonly banned, whatever is inside them.
  • Leave at home: hard cooler Where coolers are allowed at all, it is usually the small soft kind.
  • Leave at home: laptop or tablet Some venues turn them away; the rest of the crowd will thank you too.
  • Leave at home: large backpack Over the size limit it is turned away, and there may be nowhere to leave it.
  • Leave at home: laser pointer On the banned list at many venues.
  • Leave at home: pocket knife or multi-tool Take it off your key ring: a bag check treats it as a blade.
  • Leave at home: selfie stick Named on many banned lists.
  • Leave at home: sign on a pole or a stick The stick is the problem: poles are a common ban.
  • Leave at home: umbrella On many venues' banned lists; a poncho does the job.
  • Leave at home: wallet chain and spiked jewelry Some venues count them with the things that could hurt someone.

How it works

What should I take to a concert? Less than you think: many venues turn large bags and bottles away. These 69 things cover getting in, the crowd, your ears, an outdoor show and what to leave at home.

Read the full guide

Read the venue's list before you pack

Bag sizes, bottles, cameras and umbrellas are decided by each venue, and sometimes by the artist, so this list cannot know your rules. Look on the venue's own page, or in your ticket email, for its bag policy and its banned items.

If you take only five things

Your ticket, a charged phone, a way to pay, your ID and ear plugs. The rest depends on whether you will stand or sit, and whether there is a roof.

  • Take a picture of where you parked, or of the stop you need for the trip home.
  • Agree on a place to meet if you get separated: a numbered door is easier to find than "the bar".

Questions and answers

What should I take to an outdoor concert?

A rain poncho, sunscreen in a lotion or a stick, a hat that stays on, a warm layer for after dark and boots you do not mind ruining. Add a blanket or a seat cushion if the venue allows them.

What should I not take to a concert?

Things that are often turned away at the door: large or many-pocket bags, umbrellas, aerosol cans, glass bottles, selfie sticks, cameras with a lens that comes off, laptops and laser pointers. Your venue's own list decides.

What should I take to my first concert?

Your ticket, ID, a charged phone, a portable charger, a card and a little cash, ear plugs and shoes you can stand in for hours. Write a friend's number on paper in case your phone runs out.

What kind of bag should I take to a concert?

The smallest one that holds your phone, keys, cards and ear plugs. Many venues set a size limit and some ask for a clear bag, so read the bag policy before you choose one.

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