7 Tips for Planning a Destination Concert Trip

Do you love going to concerts?

I love it when I can combine two of the things I love to do: Going to a concert and traveling to a new city. After Covid hit, my trip to Nashville, TN to see Alanis Morrisette and Garbage was postponed till 2021.

I’m definitely looking forward to the day we can start attending concerts and traveling again. I feel like it’s never too early to start planning your next concert trip. I’ve put together 7 tips I’ve learned from going to concerts in different cities:

1. Decide Where To Go

When you’re from a city like I am, where your favorite bands will not have a stop on their tour, you have to get creative about where you can go to see them live. I’ve traveled to New Orleans, LA, Biloxi, MS, Atlanta, GA, and Pensacola, FL so many times to see concerts I’ve lost count. The farthest I’ve traveled for a concert is to see U2 in Seattle, WA. I chose Seattle because it was somewhere I had always wanted to go. I highly suggest choosing a city you’ve never been to before when deciding where you’re going to see your next concert. Be sure to plan an extra couple days into your trip to explore the city. 

Sevendust at the House of Blues in New Orleans, LA       Photo Credit: Alisha Paul

2. Research the City

After you know where you want to go, Google the city or search on Pinterest for fun things to do in and around the area. Tripadvisor is full of useful information about things to do in many different cities in addition to information on restaurants, hotels, and flights. This is probably the most fun part aside from actually going on the trip. Remember, you don’t have to plan out every detail of your trip, but it is best to have an idea of the things you’d like to experience. 

3. Accomodations

Use Google Maps to locate where the concert venue is and find a hotel within your price range that is near the venue. You could get lucky if you’re going to a city like Las Vegas, NV and actually stay in the same location as the venue.

If the venue is near the city center, you may have trouble finding an affordable room. In a case like this, I would suggest searching for a hotel a little further outside of the city in a nearby suburb.

Another idea is to look into renting an AirBNB. I’ve rented through AirBNB many times and I’ve only had one less than stellar experience. My advice would be to read the reviews thoroughly just like you would when you’re looking for a hotel. 

One Republic at The Palms in Las Vegas, NV      Photo Credit: Alisha Paul

4. Transportation

If you’re within driving distance of the city you are going to, you may not need to put much thought into how you will get around the city. However, if you’re not within driving distance, you’ll want to consider transportation when making your hotel accommodations.

Determine how close in proximity you will be to all of the things you want to do. If you are close to everything, it may be cheaper to walk or to take an Uber/Lyft. However, if you’re staying further away from the city, it may be cheaper to get a rental car.

5. Research the Venue

Don’t forget to research the venue beforehand to find out if you should be prepared to be at an outside venue and be aware of climate changes in the area you are traveling to. The best place to find information about your venue would be on Ticketmaster or through the venue’s website. Don’t make the mistake that I did. My friend and I completely forgot that we would need a jacket at the outside venue in Seattle after the sun went down. It may be hot at night in the South in May, but in the Pacific Northwest it can get pretty chilly.

6. Parking

The cost of parking at a venue can cost a ridiculous amount then you also have to deal with all the traffic from everyone leaving the venue at the end of the night. I have learned that one of the easiest things to do is to get an Uber from your hotel to the venue. This option is usually cheaper than parking at the venue. Plus, you get dropped off right at the front.

If you happened to get a hotel further away from the venue to save money, another option is to find a parking garage that’s close to the venue to park your rental car and catch an Uber for a few dollars from there. This ended up being the easiest and cheapest option when we were in Seattle, since the cost of parking at that venue was $50.

7. After the Show

What’s the best thing to do if you use Uber/Lyft to get to the concert? You can find where rideshare companies are picking people up at the venue, which can be a little chaotic with the amount of people trying to find their ride. Plus, rates will also be higher due to surge pricing because of the event.

I have found that the best thing to do is to walk to a nearby restaurant and grab a drink and something to eat. This is a great way to round out the night after an exciting concert. This is easiest to do in larger cities like Atlanta, Seattle, and New Orleans.

Pizza & Beer at Zeek’s Pizza in Seattle, WA       Photo Credit: Alisha Paul

Going to concerts is always a good time when you love the music of the band, but when you can pair it with a weekend getaway to a new city, it can make the experience all that more incredible.

Where have you traveled to attend a concert and who did you see?

References

Tripadvisor. (n.d.) About Tripadvisor. Retrieved September 14, 2020 from https://tripadvisor.mediaroom.com/us-about-us.