Written by Niamh Tunstall
Music has been at the forefront of society for almost six centuries, sparking joy and community, telling stories on a global scale. With the emergence of the digital era however, is concert culture and music becoming much more exclusive and inaccessible to the majority of the general public? We all see social media influencers and celebrities attending these adrenaline fuelled events, but is its increasing popularity amongst the elite hindering the opportunities that the average person has to gain access to these experiences? Between fuel problems, economic deprivation, and the cost-of-living crisis, how much longer will these popular events be seen as accessible to all before it becomes another element of high culture?
Concert culture has changed dramatically from its emergence in the 17th century, into a multicultural storm of mixed genres and styles enjoyed by the masses as a significant aspect of popular culture. From the extravagant symphonies of Mozart and Hadyn in England to the Tonkünstelersocietät from Vienna and the Gewandhaus concerts at Leipzig, music began to become a global enjoyment. A huge influx of range within the genres that were available became noticeable as music began reflecting the social conditions of the time. Swing Jazz in the 1920s and 30s slowly developed into the influences of Disco from New York City in the 1970s and 1980s and then into the Brit-pop phenomenon with Oasis and Blur who are still hugely relevant today.
In today’s society, however, concerts have become increasingly more difficult to access due to ticket prices and all other values soaring with the cost-of-living crisis. Large, profitable venues have replaced the previously extravagant palace gardens that highly esteemed classical musicians formally played in for the elites of society.
It can be said though that the excitement and anticipation surrounding has ramped up with the normalising of social media as a main point of contact worldwide and emergence of globalisation. This has allowed artists to approach their music careers and tours from a different angle and change the ways in which they market their events. A prominent example being the way that Taylor Swift publicises herself through her encouragement of extravagant outfits and the sharing of friendship bracelets to build a sense of community. Although, due to the consistent difficult obstacles to gain access to these events, they’ve become a concept of luxury and idealistic goals that people have in society, making them a more exclusive ‘lifestyle choice’ for the extremely wealthy.
On night two of Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour event at Wembley Stadium, celebrities sighted in the VIP tent included the likes of Tom Cruise, Greta Gerwig, Hugh Grant, Mila Kunis, and Travis Kelce alongside his brother Jason. The following night, Prince William attended with his son George and daughter Charlotte and met with both Swift and Kelce backstage before the show. This has been a similar trend with other concerts as well, having actors such as Louis Partridge and Joe Locke alongside singers such as Noah Kahan and Conan Grey attending Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour. Influencers and Youtubers also attend, using the event to vlog and document their experiences in exchange for views and follows – leaning into the performances’ popularity with the general public.
With concerts becoming a part of the many luxury opportunities mainly available to only the more wealthy individuals of society, they’re a brilliant way to gain a taste into an upper-class, culturally rich lifestyle. This year in particular, as society makes its way back to pre-pandemic standards, concert events are becoming more prominent and regular as pop stars re-emerge with new albums and more eye-catching stage presence than ever before. Below is a list of the most popular artists who are touring throughout the rest of this year, with extremely talented and wealthy individuals in attendance regularly.
- Olivia Rodrigo – after her wildly successful global touring of her first album Sour, she has taken to worldwide stages yet again with the touring of her number one album, Guts, from the 19th of July to the 17th of August. Celebrity guests have included Louis Partridge, Conan Grey, Joe Locke, and Iris Apatow.
- Sabrina Carpenter – with her show stopping performance she put on at this year’s Coachella, the singer shot to fame as she headlined for the Eras Tour alongside singer Gracie Abrams and more. She announced her upcoming tour for her new album Short ‘n’ Sweet to be released on the 23rd of August, for her to tour from the 10th of July to the 18th of November in the USA.
- Usher – this all-time favourite performer is set to begin his world tour of ‘Usher: past, present, future’ from August 16th to July 5th the following year. Being as timeless as he is, celebrity attendees have previously included Taylor Swift, the Kardashians, Gwen Stefani, and Justin Bieber.
- Billie Eilish – with her rise within the music industry at age just age 14 with her hit song ‘Ocean Eyes’, she is finally touring again. She will be travelling globally to perform from her new album, ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’, which she released in a unique way after allowing all her followers onto her private Instagram story and announcing her upcoming project.
With the consistent inclining popularity of social media, these artists have become the ones to watch in the new and “improved” world of the music industry.
