A growing debate since live music venues reopened after Covid-19: age restrictions at concerts – should they be increased?
The age to be able to go to concerts without an 18+ guardian in the UK is, on average, 14. This number varies amongst certain concerts and venues. However, this feels low when you consider all of the dangers that come with the thrill of concerts. Because of this, I believe that the age restrictions to attend concerts alone should be increased to 18.
In theory, concerts are stress-relieving, fun, and so much better when you’re not standing with dad, who doesn’t know the lyrics, or is dancing to embarrass you. But in reality, there are countless health and safety concerns that come with attending concerts, which aren’t taken as seriously as they should be.
One of the most dangerous things about concerts is how unpredictable they are. You may know the band that’s playing on stage, but you can never know who you will end up standing next to.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much control that on-site staff can have regarding crowd control. Rowdy crowds can lead to injury and fatality. We saw this after the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted back in 2021 at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival. 50,000 people were crammed into this crowd and a surge within the audience devastatingly caused the death of ten people, one of the victims being nine years old. Another 300 people were injured.
Young people who are typically smaller and weaker than the average adult can be more prone to injury. So, to protect the youth from harm at concerts, age restrictions should be increased.
The Covid-19 pandemic has left us in an increasingly digital world with 35% of people in the UK admitting that they use social media more than they did before Covid-19. For teens, this social media craze has led to a fixation with getting perfect concert videos to post on platforms like TikTok.
A lot of young people will disregard necessary bodily functions – which are even more important when attending concerts – just to get a good spot in the crowd. These include staying hydrated, eating, and going to the bathroom. Not doing these things can lead to fainting. Increasing age restrictions will ensure there’s a responsible guardian preventing this from happening.
Psychosocial maturity is made up of three main components: temperance (impulse control), perspective (consideration of others), and responsibility (the ability to resist peer pressure). Teenagers are significantly less mature than adults, which can lead to poor behaviour at concerts. Peer pressure is a concern regarding underage people at concerts since alcohol is always served at venues.
Being restricted to our rooms because of Covid-19, it’s understandable that young people grew attached to the celebrities that they saw on their screens every day, especially since adolescents are incredibly susceptible to parasocial relationships. However, in the years following Covid-19, parasocial relationships have slowly started to get out of hand.
Many teenagers have become so obsessed with trying to get a second of attention from their favourite artists at concerts that they are willing to act inappropriately to do this.
We saw this after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in 2022 when a fan threw a disposable camera at Steve Lacy during his concert so he would take a picture with it. Steve Lacy smashed the camera to pieces and left the stage. This year fans insensitively chanted “FEIN” – a trending meme – at Beabadoobee concerts whilst she was trying to perform an emotional song of hers.
Of course, these behaviours are not only displayed by teenagers and adolescents, but by some adults too. However, I still believe that the factors mentioned are good reasons for age restrictions at concerts to be increased.
–
Thank you for reading! This is definitely a controversial opinion, so I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Do you think age restrictions are fine as they are, or do you think that they should change? Do you think the behaviour at concerts has worsened since Covid-19?
If you found this article interesting or simply enjoyed reading it then please save this website! You can find the rest of my work here, and you can also find me on TikTok, @TunesoftheTyne.
As the mother of a 16 year old girl who loves a concert, I would feel much happier knowing there are safe areas. I understand she doesn’t want me with her. Equally the thought of festivals terrify me. My son went at 16, fortunately my daughter couldn’t. I think it’s great that you are highlighting this.
Thank you for reading! The unpredictability of concerts and festivals is definitely daunting. The issue is much more complex than most people seem to realise – I’m very happy to be able to shed some light on it!
I definitely think age restrictions for festivals should be stricter!!
Thank you for reading! Concerts are supposed to be fun – the last thing we would want is people getting hurt.
Great writing Amy and very factual as well as informative.
Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it.
Really interesting read Amy. As someone who started going to concerts well below 18, I’m not sure I agree with you though. I do agree on the safety aspect, and I think unaccompanied under 18s at some festivals is something that should be reviewed. I think larger venues could make a safe space for under 18s, on balconies/ away from the front etc. It is really good to see young people getting into love music and should be encouraged in a safe way.
I also started going to concerts alone long before I turned 18 and loved it! Unfortunately, I feel as though concerts are not as safe as they used to be, especially since the drastic increase in poor behaviour since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. You make a great point, though! I think festivals are much more unsafe than concerts. I agree that making balconies safe for U18s would be a good idea too.
What an accomplished piece of writing! Well done.
Thank you for your kind words and taking the time to read my article!
A great insight and analysis of a really relevant topic, for young and old. Well done!
Thank you for taking the time to read! If you would like you can view my other articles by clicking my home page, or on the side bar!
Such a good read! Found the bit about parasocial relationships really interesting.
Thank you for reading! It is a very interesting topic – glad you enjoyed!
I love the way you’ve gone for an evidence and science backed opinion here rather than a purely anecdotal one, excellent journalism and a really great, informative read!
Thank you, I appreciate it! I feel very passionate about this topic – it should be discussed more.
Wow I love the look at teenage psychology in this! Really adds a new perspective
Thank you so much! It’s a topic I feel strongly about, so looking at the research was really interesting!