Floored

September 14, 2009 9:11 AM

I've been to many, many concerts in the past but have always had seats and have no idea how it works when you have floor tickets. What can I expect?

My partner got us floor tickets for U2 at Skydome (I refuse to call it Rogers Centre) in Toronto, which I'm pretty excited for, except for being concerned about a couple of things.

1) Our tickets do have seat numbers on them, but my impression was with floor tickets is that there's no actual seats -- true? (If not true, the rest of my question is pretty much moot.) My main concern with this is that standing for long periods of time tends to make me feel faint (I suspect I have orthostatic hypotension). That said, as long as I'm concentrating on other things/being entertained (a given with U2) and not thinking about how I feel off, I'm usually ok.

2) I'm also short and I'd like to be able to see Bono and co. I know that they have the huge screens and all, but if we will be standing the whole time, should we go earlier (i.e. when doors open) and stake out a good spot? Should we stand near the outside edge so I have an exit route in case I do get fainty? Or should we just try to get as close to the front as possible?

3) Anything I should be aware of, whether about being on the floor generally or about the floor area at Skydome specifically?

Thanks in advance!

posted by pised to media & arts (14 comments total)

If you have seat numbers on the ticket, that generally means that you'll have a seat - if it was "general admission" (ie, Standing), then they usually don't print a seat number and just print "GA" or "General".

In my experience, for stadium shows, "Floor ticket" usually just means that you're not in the stands - that you're in the seats they put on the field right in front of the stage (in other words, great seats!). You can see the seating chart for concerts at the skydome here.
posted by muddgirl at 9:17 AM on September 14

On the tickets, the section and row have a "GA" in front of them, but there's an actual number for the seat. U2 has a different setup for their show than a standard concert stage, which should be here, so it's still a little uncertain.
posted by pised at 9:22 AM on September 14

Important distinction:

Does the ticket say "General admission" on it? If so, that is "standing room." Those tickets do, in my experience, usually have some sort of phantom row/seat number, I suppose just to keep track of how many to sell.


But mudgirl is right, if it does NOT say "General admission," it just means you have a seat on the floor of the arena. My experience with older, established bands like this is that people will not stand for the entire show. They may stand during a few of the most exciting parts, but basically they will sit, and you may even hear a "down in front" to someone who insists on standing. (It's happened to me; I was raised to believe that everyone was so excited at a rock show they stood the whole time, but it's not the case anymore for older bands with older audiences.)
posted by drjimmy11 at 9:24 AM on September 14

Re: your follow-up, GA does mean general admission. So you will probably be standing the whole time, unfortunately. Maybe you can contact the arena and ask about special accommodations for people with medical conditions?
posted by drjimmy11 at 9:26 AM on September 14

Thanks for the follow-up. If you want to get a good view and don't care about getting Bono's sweat all over you, then just hang out by the back of the GA area or near one side. You'll still be able to see them just fine, and it should be way less crowded back there so you can see over people's heads.

Another bonus to hanging out towards the back is that you can probably get away with sitting on the ground through the opening acts, and standing up when U2 comes out.
posted by muddgirl at 9:31 AM on September 14 [1 favorite]

Word, I have bad joints and have sat on the floor for breaks from standing, at the back, at gigs before.

Sometimes it's just as fun to close your eyes and listen than to try and squint to catch a glimpse of the people playing.

DON'T try and get to the front, if you start feeling faint, the last thing you will want is to be trapped in amongst people who may not be aware you are in trouble. No kind of good view is worth getting trampled on.
posted by greenish at 9:38 AM on September 14

U2 has a different setup for their show than a standard concert stage, which should be here, so it's still a little uncertain.

That's a pretty bizarre layout for this tour, since the whole point is that the fans are supposed to be on all sides. But they only have the GA on one side, and only the bleacher seats are on the other side. I guess that's what happens when you use a baseball stadium instead of a football stadium.
posted by smackfu at 9:42 AM on September 14

I saw U2 at Wembley Stadium a few weeks back while in vacation in London, though we had seats, not floors. The floor area was just a mass of people, there definitely were no seats. The stage is pretty ridiculously huge and elevated, and there was a giant screen that was pretty amazing and showed good close-ups of the band as they played. I think you could try to stake-out a spot way at the front, but you'd need to get there early, at least around the start of the first openers. At Wembley we were there when the first openers started, and there were still a good batch of people crowding around the front of the stage. So you can get there and try and squeeze up front, but as the crowds grow, you'll either need to stay there all the time to protect your spot (no bathroom breaks), or abandon it and stay far away. As U2's start time approaches, it'll become all but impossible to get near the stage.

That being said, our seats were essentially equivalent with the farthest away from the stage you could be while on the floor. We had seats looking right at the front of the stage, but were in the first seated rows, though slightly elevated above the main floor crowd. From that vantage point you get a great view, you can see Bono and company walking around pretty clearly, and you can watch all you want on the big screen. So if you're worried about your condition and passing out, just stay back and relax against the rails that'll separate the floor area from the rows of seats/bleachers. You can lean against them, and there seemed to be lots of space in those areas so if you feel like you're tired of standing, you can just plop down on the ground for a bit and rest your legs and get yourself back together.

Also, maybe try and sit for the early numbers where they play stuff from the new album and the crowd energy is a bit low, the later parts of their set is just hit after hit after hit and the energy becomes ridiculous. You'll want to be standing at that part.
posted by dnesan at 9:42 AM on September 14

I'm short, too, and it's one of the reasons I don't go to that many concerts in clubs/arenas. If you're with some tall strong people, maybe they'll lift you up once in a while. Otherwise, just try to get a spot where you can see the screen. Definitely don't try to go to the front unless you're with several friends who will all watch out for each other; you'll get crushed.

Also, make sure you stay hydrated. It should help you avoid the fainting issue.
posted by oinopaponton at 9:58 AM on September 14

You will be standing the entire time, and yes, the earlier you get there, the better chances of you being able to grab the spot you want. Most folks want to be as close to the front as possible and head for the center, but I have found that hanging on the outskirts to be preferable. It gives you more air and easier access if you need to go to the bathroom or whatever. I think that combined with hydration should take care of your fainting issue.

I am short, and it's just luck of the draw, but I seem to always find a spot I can see through, though it may involve some bobbing and weaving. :) I have had awesome experiences at GA shows, but I've also experienced my share of frustrating moments, too, particualrly at larger venues. Anticipate that people will be rude, invade your personal space, and, if you have a good spot, they may try to take it over by gradually moving into it. Stand your ground, and don't let anyone ruin your good time. Oh, and have a good time!
posted by katemcd at 10:25 AM on September 14

The Ticketmaster page you linked to has a drop down box to select ticket sections and it clearly states there: "General Admission Standing on Field"
posted by donovan at 11:24 AM on September 14

Once inside the stadium and on the floor, go up to the first section (similar to the seats described by dnesan) and see if there's anybody willing to trade tickets with you. You get their seats, they get floor access.
posted by grateful at 12:02 PM on September 14

The sweet spot for floor tickets is right next to the sound booth. I'm not sure of the layout, but usually you can stand next to it and because of the way it disrupts the flow it usually has a buffer around it where no-one stands. It's not always possible to stake out a space there tho.

Side note - I've been to GA concerts with seats on the floor (David Bowie, Dave Matthews) where you have to battle your way to the best seats, like the free-for-all movie premiere. It's true the older the band's fan base, the more likely you'll have seats. It's also a venue-to-venue thing.
posted by fiercekitten at 1:16 PM on September 14

Wear comfortable shoes.
posted by fixedgear at 2:54 PM on September 14