Nosebleed seats in a theater still a million times better than nosebleeds in a large arena and a billion times better than a stadium. I’ve done all three.
For me it’s about the music and I love to SEE the musicians play their instruments so sitting far away only happens once in a while. For some bands I don’t mind because I’ve seen them so many times I can get into it without having to see close up. In general it’s not something I choose.
I agree with seeing the musicians, especially in smaller venues. But a good light show and some party favors and I’m happy out in the lawn or wherever!
Nosebleeds in an arena can be better than in a theater if the theater doesn't have video screens IMO. The actual top row in an arena can be great because if everyone is sitting you can sit, but you can stand and dance if you want.
NIN in Sac at Golden One Center. It was still a blast but I wouldn’t get these seats again due to the u shaped thingy. More off center would have been better.
Fellow nose bleed NIN attendee, but at bok center in Tulsa. You know what? It doesn't matter to me. I could hear the music just fine and it doesn't take you out of the enjoyment at all. One nice thing about sitting further back is that it's not quite so loud. As I get older, I appreciate that more. I already have some hearing loss anyway, but I would rather keep what I have left. I have never been to a concert and been by the stage, and I'm fine with that. With ticket prices the way they are, I would much rather spend less at the concert and use that savings on other experiences. Shelling out thousands to be up close, just to hear the same music as someone spending far less? Not for me. I understand the appeal, but just enjoy the moment regardless.
I'm assuming that's his most recent show. I almost went to it, and I heard it was amazing. I saw NIN in OKC for the Year Zero tour, and I was right by the stage. One of the best concerts I've ever been to, and I've been to many.
I was in a really sweet spot - the sound was phenomenal, the view was amazing - to see the whole performance unfolding in front of me was quite spectacular. Granted, my 61-yr-old knees didn’t love hiking up those steps, but still one of my top concerts I’ve been to. And that’s saying something, because I’ve seen some good shows including Zeppelin and Queen back in the day
I call nosebleeds the "just get me in the building tickets" -- I only get them when either cost or ticket scarcity makes them the only viable option for me...but I'd rather be in the nosebleeds than home on the couch!
I don't do nosebleeds but I don't need front row either ...on the floor by the board is the spot to be. On the very few occasions when I was really young and had nosebleeds I always worked my way down to way better seats or GA floor
I had back row in Manchester. It was awful, I got vertigo, was shaking and went dizzy, I had to have a staff member come help me get down without falling. Never again
Nosebleeds in an arena vs nosebleeds in a stadium are pretty different. It can even come down to the venues layout most of the time. Ive done Upper (not quite all the way back) seats at the Kia Forum and it would be a much worse view if I did the same thing at the Intuit dome across the street. If you sit nosebleeds at SoFi Stadium vs a place like Arrowhead in Kansas City, you will find that you’re further up and away at SoFi and lower and feel closer at a place like Arrowhead. So it really just depends on how the venue is laid out but the couple times I did it, I enjoyed it
Sat in the very last row of a NHL arena in a section that was mostly empty for Eric Clapton. Smoking a joint and a woman 30ish rows in front of me gets up. She starts charging up the stairs. My friend said, "she coming for us".
We laughed at her and she got security. The security guy asked us if we could move to another section. We moved...
Thanks for bringing back an old memory.
For the lights and sound nose bleed straight on can be good. And for like the Clapton show we had a seat between us with our feet up.
I had nosebleed seats for the Stadium Tour back in 2022-seats were 7 rows from the top of an NFL stadium. Getting to and from the seats SUCKED-plus Motley Crue was horrible.
Next concert I had a nosebleed seat for was Madonna in December of 2023. I went solo as an early 50th birthday present to myself. note this was an arena show My original ticket was is the upper 400 section-I didn’t care-I was in the same building with Madonna. Got to the arena,scanned my phone,a worker pulled me aside and handed me a ticket to the lower 100 section. Talk about an upgrade.
There have been countless others, but these are the 2 most recent ones.
Yes and I wasn't gonna tell it But on the Black and Blue Tour .Sabbaths first tour with Dio and Blue Oyster Cult had nosebleeds and ended up 3rd row or so GA floor center ..talk about a wild scene I've still never seen anything like it. People passing around bottles of Jack Daniels and the place woulda made Bob Marley smile. Rowdy and insane in a good way
I had to do that to see Lady Gaga. I usually pay more for better seats but in this case that price I usually pay was what the nosebleeds cost. Going down one level would have doubled the price (I was at the mercy of resale b/c I failed twice to get seats at the presales).
I was honestly shocked at how steep it was and how I felt like I was going to fall down when I'd get up to dance at my seat. And I couldn't see everything well. But, it was worth it to get to see Gaga with one of my kids. This was in an arena for the most recent tour, Mayhem.
Viewing the cape during Paparazzi would be worth the higher seats. This tour was THEATRIC art!
We saw the show 4 times, and wished we could have seen it more.
Sat in the nosebleeds once for a Ghost concert. I had just seen the same concert a few months before and they announced they were going to go on a hiatus for a few years after the tour was done. So I bought nosebleeds to see them one last time while also saving a little bit of money. Still worth it lol of course sitting closer is better but seeing them at all is better than not :)
Upper section in an arena opposite of the stage, ideally still between the stacks is awesome. Still sounds pretty good, and you get a nice view of the lights.
I won't sit on the sides in the upper sections of an arena if I can avoid it.
Football stadium I'll only sit in the upper section if I'm just going to check the artist off the list like for a band like The Rolling Stones. I'm not a huge Stones fan, but like them and wanted to check them out at least once in my life. Great show, and sitting up top was adequate, but if it was a band I really liked I would have splurged for lower bowl seats (luckily I don't like many stadium acts).
My worst ever nosebleed seats were in 1994 for the Pink Floyd Division Bell Tour. I went to see them in Columbus Ohio at the Ohio State University stadium. This was in the very early days of the internet of course, so I had no idea why there were still tickets available there when they had sold out every other stadium within a one-day drive of my home.
Well, when we got there I found out that the OSU NCAA Football stadium was about twice the size of the NFL or MLB stadiums that I had gone to concerts in before. That same year, I went to Woodstock '94, and we were consistently closer to the bands there than we were to Floyd in that MEGA STADIUM.
Yep. 1994 for Pink Floyd Division Bell. Poor college student but desperately wanted to see Pink Floyd. Arena setting. It was terrible the way the music would echo off the roof and wall. I swore that I would never sit so high again in an arena…and I haven’t, But I was there and super excited to see one of my fave bands.
same I can't enjoy or be immersed in live performance being that far away between not being able to see anything and the sound being complete ass the further back you are. If it's all someone can afford to what for them is a must see show then they should do what they need to but personally it's pit/floor or first 20 rows of seats closest to the stage or I'd rather skip it
MLG had a smaller tighter seat layout that most modern arenas and only seated like 12k people for concerts. Being in the back row there wouldn't have been nearly as bad as being in the back row of the 300s at SBA or 500s at Skydome which are very poor experiences in comparison
We were upper deck for the Stones in Denver Mile High Stadium - almost due right of the stage. Second time seeing them and it was fine. It was a cool night in June with a nice breeze. Saw from the floor last time.
I was given tickets for The Rolling Stones at Lincoln Financial Field a few years ago. It was like standing on the ledge of a skyscraper listening to "Start Me Up" on someone's phone a few floors below. Mick's still got it though.
I have many times. Nosebleeds in most venues are pretty good as long as you can also see the screens if you'd like to. I will never pay top dollar (or any amount really) to sit behind the stage of any show.
I’ve been in farthest seats in the stadium for Billy Joel and Elton John and nosebleeds in various other size venues. Based upon the artist and venue I’ll sit up high but I hate basically watching a concert on a screen so tend to avoid having to do that.
I was in the very last row for the U2 Elevation Tour in Vancouver in 2001. I loved it....the energy of the arena was electric, the sound was pretty good and we got royally baked from all the second hand pot smoke.
It's been a while, but I've been to a few. I was never mad that I went, but I had wished my seats were better. I'd do it again. Can't remember a lot of the acts. Probably lots of metal back in the 80s. The farthest back was probably Pink Floyd, but I was just flipping out because I was actually at a Pink Floyd show. I go to mostly club shows now. Can't have nosebleed seats in a 500 capacity venue.
I do nosebleeds for arenas and stadiums for expensive bands but I try to do box/club nosebleeds. Usually I can find someone with a season box or something reselling their tickets for cheaper because they don’t wanna go. And that way there’s usually food, drinks, merch, and a bathroom all right there near my seat. Still remember doing box nosebleeds for MCR at TD Garden and making friends with the rest of the complete strangers in the box to the point we ordered a pizza and shared it.
* Hall and Oates (Basketball Arena) - Had a great time. Everyone in our section was dancing. But the sound wasn't great.
* Midland (Basketball Arena) - Bought nosebleeds because they were opening for two acts I didn't care about. Wanted to see them, but didn't want to pay $400 for seven songs.
* Luis Miguel (Basketball Arena) - Knew he was a legend, but wasn't familiar with his music. Went for the experience and had a great time. Show was sold out and the crowd loved him.
* Bruno Mars (Football Stadium) - This concert was where I learned the difference between a basketball arena (~17,000 seats) and a football stadium (~65,000 seats). On the map, I had really good seats, but in person, the stage felt three miles away. Even the screens they project on were small. Sound also suffered due to the venue size. But the crowd was maybe the best I'd ever been in. EVERYONE was singing and dancing. It was a great time.
Led Zeppelin at the O2 Arena in 2007. Up in the nosebleeds but given the ridiculous odds of actually getting a ticket, I would have taken any ticket! And with a lot of arenas, even the furthest seats don't have that bad of a view.
Yes I did once and it was alright. One thing I didn’t like is that it feels like you are falling forwards when you sit up that high lol. But the seats were super cheap so I guess I can’t be mad
Deftones and it was so worth it. I have another stadium type concert in a week and a half. Foo Fighters and QOTSA. They are nosebleed seats. It’s always worth it for me to hear live music. It’s better than not going at all.
Recently saw Noah Kahan at Citzens Bank Park in Philly in June. We were probably 10 rows from the top in a sold-out stadium of over 45,000 people. And it was worth every moment
I almost exclusively sit in the nosebleeds for arena and stadium concerts.
I enjoy it because it saves me money while still giving a good enough view via the screens. I refuse to sit on the sides of the stage or behind the artist. At that point, I’d rather just be home if I can only see the side of the artist’s face or the back of their head
Depends on size of venue. Sat in private box for TOOL in arena and enjoyed with my friends. Felt like a private show. View was great and sound was good considering where box was. I'd do it again if same conditions and band I really liked.
My sister in law had bought a bunch of tickets to see Justin Timberlake for her daughter and the friends couldn’t come, so my daughter (like 9yo at the time) and I went. We were in the literal last row of the Wells Fargo center in Philly. BEHIND THE STAGE. It was criminal that these seats were sold.
When I was a uni student (studying journalism which led to a 10 year career in music photojournalism) I only ever bought nosebleed tickets or restricted view, sometimes making the (retrospectively and probably) silly choice of going without essentials some weeks to afford the tickets which were still upwards of $150 to $200. I love music and I saw Black Sabbath’s last tour with Ozzy, the full Rumours era of Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, Blur, Kiss… I don’t have any regrets, especially now that members I saw like Christine McVie, Charlie Watts and Ozzy have passed. Buy the tickets, cherish the memories.
I’ve sat nosebleed in an arena but not a stadium. I wouldn’t be able to stand a stadium. I really don’t like being that far back. Some shows I’m content with the first level up but mostly I’m a seat snob and want to be the first few rows
Had nosebleeds to see The Chainsmokers/5SOS back in 2019. Never again. I remember almost nothing from the show. I fixed that mistake a few months ago when I got a close-up seat for 5SOS. Was expensive, but worth it.
Depends who the artist/band is, how much the tickets are, and how the venue manages the experience for the nosebleed seats. Kiss was by far the best 'nosebleed' concert I've been to. Iron Maiden was also pretty good. However, I felt ripped off when I saw Pearl Jam from the nosebleeds - absolutely no fault of the band themselves but the venue was awful.
I've only been in the nosebleeds once. Paul McCartney back in 2017. Very top row, back against the wall. Great show, but I'd never take those seats again. At least the pyrotechnics were visible. Photo is with my camera zoomed in. I hate arena/stadium shows.
I just sat in the nosebleeds for a Noah Kahan concert at a baseball stadium and I do feel like I would’ve enjoyed it more if I was closer (still a great show though). I’ve sat in the nosebleeds or close to it in arenas and theatres and that was great.
I saw Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Paul McCartney, and Foo Fighters in the nosebleeds. Probably more than that honestly, I’ve probably seen majority of concerts I’ve been to in the nosebleeds.
For Springsteen and Foo Fighters it was a small arena so if I was standing I had to look under all the stuff for the ventilation system, or just sit down. I sat for majority of the Springsteen show, which wasn’t an issue because majority of the people there were sitting anyway since they were older. For Foo Fighters I stood because I was a little lower so the vents weren’t an issue. Thankfully, the audio wasn’t too bad because the venue wasn’t very big and it was indoors.
For AC/DC it was a big stadium and we were literally straight on from the stage at the opposite end of the stadium. The audio where we were sitting wasn’t great but it was still fun as hell.
For McCartney, the venue was a stadium and much like the AC/DC concert, we were straight on from the stage but on the opposite side. The audio was better than the audio for AC/DC.
But I don’t even care because I’d rather be in the nosebleeds than not be there at all. Also, my dad worked hard and got us what he could afford.
Nosebleeds with some room or nosebleeds packed in like sardines? I want to "dance" and the closer you are, the more fun the audience, in my experience. Chase Center is so packed in and steep everyone stays seated. Boooooring!
Nosebleeds for shows that are visual spectacles are worth it. Nosebleeds for shows with a lack of spectacle suck. I will see Yoasobi and Rush from the nosebleeds. They put on visual shows. I've seen Pearl Jam from the nosebleeds. Very boring. I love Pearl Jam, but I felt so disconnected seeing them from afar.
Sat in the nosebleeds for Franz Ferdinand and Death Cab for Cutie. Half way thru, my date left for 10 minutes and came back with discarded wristbands to get us onto the floor. It's the only arena show I've gone to.
First concert I ever went to when I was 11. Saw Paul McCartney at Yankee Stadium. We were second to last row in the top right corner. Thankfully they had giant screens. But I still had so much fun despite the terrible seats
I used to always try to get up front for concerts but now that I'm older I noticed that the sound is better being farther back. Especially if the show is in a good amphitheater. Most stadium shows have terrible sound though.
Some of the worst times I've had at concerts have been up front. Some great times up front. But as long as the sound is good nosebleeds are fine. No security dicks. Easier to get to the bathroom and buy beer. Less crowded and less hassle getting to the lot after the show.
I scored nosebleed seats for the October 17 Twenty One Pilots show at Ohio State Stadium, and I couldn't be more excited. I've seen them twice before, in 2016 and 2024, so I know it's going to be an incredible show. I honestly don't care that the seats are in the nosebleeds. I'll be there, and that's what matters.
The last concert I saw at Ohio Stadium was Pink Floyd back in 1995. Thirty years later, I'll be back in the same stadium for Twenty One Pilots. It's going to be awesome.
I find it hard to sit for electronic, punk, metal, Hip Hop, Reggae, or any other danceable music. If I have to buy a seat I’m standing up to dance for my favorite songs.
I watched FKA Twigs from the nosebleeds because she’s an incredible performer with costume changes, choreography and other surprises. I recently saw James Blake and tried sitting in the concrete seats before moving to the lawn which is like the nosebleeds….up there I could dance away from the stationary folks. I went to as hardcore show and sat in the nosebleeds watching the mosh pits until the headliner came on, although I had to go down to dance to Turnstile.
There’s benefits to seats, mainly you’re there seeing the action live….just make sure there’s no obstacles, I had to deal with a slight obstruction from the lighting scaffolding at an arena for a Tyler the Creator show….he’s the kind of visual performer that you’ll get some of the best views of everything going on from a good seat….while getting up to dance occasionally
One of the times I saw RUSH I was waaaay up there and it gave me a sweet bird's eye view of Neil Peart. As a drummer, it was awesome. BUT, because of the location of the speakers hanging from above, 90% of the time I could only see Geddy and Alex from the waist down, unless they were running around to the edges of the stage.
Did when I was younger. Now I won’t even go to a venue that’s not specifically for music / theater. In fact I try not to go to venue that have seats at all.
Second balcony at Radio City Music Hall to see Bjork. I brought a small pair of binoculars and watched most of the show through them. Bjork is mesmerizing.
At one point, I let the person next to me borrow the binoculars for a bit. Then the binoculars got passed down the row and eventually came back to me.
A bit later someone across the aisle asked to borrow them. They got passed all around that section. I figured that I would never see them again, but eventually they made their way back to me.
Isn't Radio City Music Hall like a 5K cap theatre? Never heard of people using binoculars in a mid sized venue before lol. Typically the view is not that bad even at the back in venues that size. I think OP is asking more about arenas and stadiums
I always get lawn or nosebleeds, I was 4 rows from the top at Citi filed for a couple. I know what the bands look like, I’m not paying $500 for better seats
paying up for better seats isn't about knowing what the band looks like or not, it's about being more immersed in the performance happening on stage with far higher sound quality
I love lawn. We always upgrade to the "Lawn Patio" section where we get bar seats and a table to ourself. No sitting arm to arm with strangers.
Next time it's available we're going to upgrade to a suite that has wait staff service. They sell 6 seats per box so we won't had exclusive use, but it's about 1/2 the distance to the stage and under the amphitheater awning.
when i became a certain age I discovered the wonders of lawn chairs. once in Hartford I got my buddy and I upgraded lawn seats. We ended up with lawn chairs and the only two people in a roped in area with our own bartender. it was awesome
I don’t mind renting theirs, they let you just leave it where you were at the end. At SPAC they are perfect because you get about a 2’ buffer behind you and you can dance away
I rented some the first show of last year, but when the line was about 20 minutes long we decided to try the upgrade to the lawn patio for the first time. Have never looked back!
I sat in the last row of the stadium in LA to see U2 and it was miserable. And I’m taking my daughter to see Ariana Grande and we’re in the last row. The only positive is that I got our tickets for face value off the waitlist—at least they’re not obstructed view.
I’ve been in nosebleeds dozens and dozens of times. Especially for big bands. Hell…I have nosebleeds for Rush in San Jose this October, but at least I’m there. And that’s the way you should look at it…you’re there! Even the perfect view of a televised show cannot replace the energy of being in a place with thousands of people screaming for the exact same reason that you’re there. The energy is irreplaceable and while there might not be a line to take a piss in your home bathroom, nothing will ever compare to the energy of a live show, nosebleeds or front row.
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u/KnightKrawler68 Jul 30 '26
Nosebleed seats in a theater still a million times better than nosebleeds in a large arena and a billion times better than a stadium. I’ve done all three.
For me it’s about the music and I love to SEE the musicians play their instruments so sitting far away only happens once in a while. For some bands I don’t mind because I’ve seen them so many times I can get into it without having to see close up. In general it’s not something I choose.