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Seeing your favorite artist is an unforgettable experience. And it’s a privilege that not every fan gets to do.
Thankfully, though, the live entertainment scene has bounced back since the pandemic lockdowns. Many local and international acts have staged concerts in the Philippines in the past year, with some even returning to the country within months.
And while most of these shows have become a “core memory” for fans, there have been instances and aspects of these shows that have caused great dissatisfaction. Note that many fans spend thousands of pesos and even travel hundreds of miles for these shows.
Sure, staging concerts and live shows are a massive undertaking. Just booking an artist alone is already an entire complicated process. From scouring for appropriate locations, to deciding ticket prices, to promoting the event, to ensuring safety on concert day – every show requires strategic planning and thorough preparation.
There’s a lot that fans don’t see behind the scenes. But it still doesn’t hurt to listen to their feedback so as to improve concert experiences, no?
We asked Rappler readers which aspects of live shows and concerts could be improved upon, and here’s what they had to say:
Law against scalping and fairer ticket allotment
Most readers lamented the current ticketing system, with several calling for a law against scalping. Scalpers are individuals who purchase a lot of tickets and sell them at higher prices.
“How come a single person can buy more than the allowed number? Do they use bots?” one comment read. “We understand that every person has the right to purchase a ticket, whether he’s a legit fan or not. But we can’t have people buying more than the allowed number of [tickets] per head. Give fans a better fighting chance.”
Fans usually line up for hours and even allocate a huge portion of their day during the ticket selling period. That’s why it’s such a downer when they don’t get their desired seats, or worse, don’t get any tickets at all. But what makes it even more infuriating is seeing these seats (many of which have the better views) being resold at a heftier price.
Another netizen wrote: “There should be a law against scalping. Minsan nauuna pang makabili ang scalpers ng good seats kesa sa actual fans and concertgoers (Sometimes, scalpers get the good seats ahead of the actual fans and concertgoers).”
During the ticket selling for TWICE’s Ready to Be concert at the Philippine Arena, a viral tweet revealed that a scalper was selling 16 VIP tickets for P40,000 each. In reality, one VIP ticket only costs P17,500, and per purchase guidelines, one user can only avail of a maximum of four tickets per transaction.
There are even cases where the tickets are resold at twice or thrice the original price, with some scalpers even offering them outside concert venues right before the actual show starts. Worse, these scalpers might even be selling fake or invalid tickets.
While the Philippines has yet to have a sweeping law against scalping, there are some cities in Metro Manila that have anti-scalping ordinances. In December 2018, police were able to nab a total of 17 scalpers selling UAAP Finals tickets at 5 to 10 times their original prices.
Some organizers are also taking a more proactive approach against scalping.
Concert promoter PULP Live World, for instance, has introduced a ticket verification process, wherein the ticket holders’ names are printed on the physical concert tickets. To enter the concert venue, attendees should present a valid ID that matches the name indicated on their physical tickets.
Aside from scalping, fans have also raised issues surrounding online purchasing. Usually during ticketing days, social media trends revolve around fans being unable access ticketing websites or not seeing their payments go through.
“The ticketing system is broken regardless of who’s providing the tickets,” one comment read.
Still on ticketing matters, fans have also asked for fair and transparent distribution of available tickets.
“[Organizers] should not reserve tickets [for] VIPs. Let the legit fans buy the tickets first,” one wrote, while another said: “Fair distribution of ticket sales. Sometimes, tickets are being allocated for VIPs and influencers.”
While fans are aware that there will always be complimentary tickets for sponsors, media, and partnered organizations, most of them wish for a fairer way to secure tickets.
Another online user brought up seats with limited views, saying fans should be made aware of beforehand whether the seat they’re choosing might be obstructed.
Ensure safety and security of concertgoers
It goes without saying that fans pay for convenience as well, so it’s frustrating to see that even some of the most basic matters do not get met.
During Ben&Ben’s homecoming concert in December 2022, for instance, fans took to social media to complain about long lines, poor security, non-implementation of health protocols, no proper segregation between sections, and lack of food options, among others.
While the band has since apologized and the organizer has also released a statement, these don’t reverse the hassles that concertgoers had undergone.
Aside from having enough marshalls and security personnel, setting up a medic station, and facilitating the queuing, organizers should also check the actual facilities of the venue.
At a concert in the Philippine Arena, one fan documented how a metal pole from the ceiling fell during the show. Meanwhile, several fans have experienced getting wet because of a hole in the general admission section of the Araneta Coliseum.
Other readers have also mentioned the need for more food stalls and concessionaires as well as cleaner portalets, particularly during music festivals.
Improved lighting, sound, and promotions
Other concertgoers have also raised issues about the lights and sounds systems of venues.
One requested for a professional music engineer, saying: “Ano’ng sense ng pag-sound check ng artist if sa show daming palpak sa mic and audio quality (What’s the point of artists holding sound checks when the audio quality is so poor during the actual show)?”
Another said: “Sayang ginastos sa ticket kung hindi naman fully ma-eenjoy ‘yung experience (It’s such a waste of a ticket if you can’t enjoy the show [because of lightning and audio difficulties]).”
Some concertgoers also hope for “equal treatment for all artists” in terms of promotion.
One wrote: “I just wish that promoters would earnestly promote shows outside social media. It is just sad that shows get canceled because expected ticket sales were not met, when in the first place [the show was not] promoted properly even on mainstream or traditional media.”
Possible coordination with LGUs
Many concertgoers brought up issues about Bulacan’s Philippine Arena in particular, with some saying that organizers should coordinate properly with the local government units involved.
Fans, and even some celebrities, have complained about how they’ve missed parts of a show due to traffic jams.
“The parking area in Philippine Arena should be paved for smoother flow of traffic and the exit route should be widened,” one comment read.
Fans also lobbied for additional parking areas and better transportation options for concertgoers who don’t have their own cars. For concerts at the Philippine Arena, organizer Live Nation Philippines usually has shuttle services to and from the venue.
As for concerts around Metro Manila, some commuter fans request that trains hold longer operation hours to accommodate concert attendees.
Transparency and accountability
Fans have also stressed how important it is for their concerns to be acknowledged by the organizers to begin with, and not just be brushed off.
Another user also lamented that K-pop fans who send over gifts for artists during concerts sometimes don’t even know if their presents were received properly.
Others also complained about not getting their tickets refunded for canceled shows, because organizers didn’t provide them with enough information or addressed their concerns.
Several suggest that organizers be open about feedback or receive evaluations every after event. This way, they’d be better aware of the matters they could improve on for the next shows.
Better fan etiquette
Some comments, meanwhile, pointed out that it’s not just the organizers and producers who are in charge of making sure that every attendee has the best concert experience.
A user wrote: “I believe it’s not the organizers but, [also] the concertgoers. [There should be] discipline: avoidance or limiting the use of phones during concerts while lifting them up to video the whole scene; noisy audiences that clap or shouting during intermissions.”
– Rappler.com
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