At 18, I’ve already been to 30 concerts. From packed general admission pits to massive stadiums, I’ve seen it all. Live music has always been a huge part of my life, and as much fun as I’ve had, there are plenty of things I wish I’d known before my first concert.
After 30 concerts, I’ve made just about every mistake, so you don’t have to. Whether your next show is your first or your tenth, here is my advice.

Be careful where you buy tickets
When you’re browsing the internet for tickets, it can be easy to click on the first website that pops up. However, this is a trap that most people fall into.
There are a few things you should always do before buying your tickets.
You want to start by comparing the ticket prices with those on other websites. This is the best way to make sure you’re not overpaying for your tickets.
If you want to prevent yourself from going bankrupt, also be sure to avoid any ticket resale websites. If there are still first-hand tickets available, you should almost always buy those instead.
Resold tickets are typically flipped around by scalpers, a person or group that purchases tickets (typically using bots) to close the market on certain tickets and resells them at exorbitant prices to make a profit. If an artist is popular enough, their tickets will often be scalped because scammers know there will always be people willing to buy them, no matter the price.
So, if you’re buying resold tickets, they can be anywhere from two to 10 times the original price. Take Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, for instance: the tickets originally started at $50 and went up to $449. Then, on resale, they went as high as $5,000.
So, before you press check out, make sure you know your options.

Bring a charger
It’s no secret that phone batteries don’t always last as long as we’d like, and that’s a problem in today’s digital world. GPS, your tickets, your method of communication: they’re all on your phone. If your phone dies, you lose access to vital tools you’ll need.
However, there are two easy ways to solve this issue.
You should either A) bring a portable power bank, B) bring a car charger, or C) both. Most concerts can be anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours away, and depending on how far you’re going, you’ll want to make sure your phone doesn’t die, as it’ll be far harder to navigate there, you need your phone to get inside, and you’ll most likely want to take videos and pictures once you’re inside.

Bring multiple payment options
Depending on the venue, many concerts are cashless. If you don’t have a debit card, stop at a local store and purchase a Visa gift card in case you decide to buy any band merchandise, food, or drinks during the concert.
Other venues are the opposite, only taking cash. These aren’t common, but they definitely exist.
So, before getting in the car, it’s important to keep a card and cash payment option readily available in your wallet if you don’t know what the venue takes.

How to learn more about the show you’re seeing
Many people don’t know just how many avenues there are for gleaning information about a concert.
Before you’re even at the venue, you can always find the time the doors open, who the openers are, bag policies, prohibited items, and whether you’re old enough to get in.
Much of this information can be found on a single, easily accessible screen on Ticketmaster. Even if you’ve purchased your tickets through another site, you can still view the information on Ticketmaster.
To do this, click on the event, tap the three dots at the top right of your screen, and press “Event Info.” On this screen, it will tell you the address of the venue, the lineup, ticket limits, and any other information you will need to know, such as whether or not the venue is 21+.

Finding out about the setlist
No one likes paying for a concert only to realize the band isn’t playing any of the songs they wanted. To avoid this, you can find out what the bands will play early.
Through setlist.fm or its embedded display on Ticketmaster, you can view what songs the band has played at previous concerts from the same tour, giving you a good idea of whether or not you’ll hear the songs you want.
However, I should note that while setlists are generally similar from show to show, there are some slight variations.

Never go alone
As much as I love concerts, I have to admit that, just like any event in a large crowd, it’s important not to go alone for your own safety.
Concerts are very animated environments where it’s very easy to get lost or overwhelmed. Having a friend with you means you have a second set of eyes to help navigate through packed crowds, hold your spot if you go grab food or use the bathroom, and share your concert experience with.
There’s safety in numbers, so if you ever find yourself feeling scared at a concert by yourself, one thing commonplace for concert goers is finding a group that you identify as safe and, if they agree, will “adopt” you for the night, providing the same benefits previously mentioned.

Concerts can seem intimidating to someone who hasn’t attended many, or any at all, but they are some of the most magical atmospheres in the world, and learning how to enjoy them to their fullest potential without having to make mistakes yourself is only another upside. So, next time you’re on the checkout screen for a band you want to see, I hope you’ll remember these tips.