The Weeknd: Fans react to restricted view concert tickets

The Weeknd will bring his spectacular show to the Wembley Stadium stage, but some fans won't be able to watch him in action.

"I couldn't see the entire stage and almost the entire catwalk," Rosalie Streenstra tells BBC Newsbeat.

The blocked view is due to the singer's production having a big inflatable moon hanging in the middle of the arena.

Rosalie, 19, had a "restricted view" seat for his Amsterdam gig, but didn't expect the obstruction to be so big.

She had been to the Johan Cruijff Arena before to see Beyoncé and had the "perfect view", in front of the middle of the stage in the top ring.

But The Weeknd's choice of staging in stadiums - meant to enhance the visual spectacle - also causes a blocked view for those in that section.

Ticketmaster says all restricted view tickets are clearly labelled, and it sells these tickets "because for many fans, a restricted or side view is not a problem".

An unrestricted view of The Weeknd can cost up to £150, so after buying the cheapest one available for €50 (£43), Rosalie has no regrets about not being able to see a lot of the performance.

"It hardly bothered me because the atmosphere during such a concert is so good," she says.

The wider issue around paying for tickets with blocked views has been discussed by many music fans.

In the US, there was a mixed response over "listening-only" tickets being advertised for some Beyoncé gigs - with seats being listed as having "no view" or "no stage view".

Liliana Cooper had a similar experience to Rosalie - although when she saw the Starboy singer in London it wasn't the moon but the position of the stage which was blocking her view.

She says she paid about £25 for the last-minute ticket, which was for a seat behind the stage, having previously seen him perform in Manchester, spending almost £300 on a seat with a better view.

"The difference in price is crazy," the 19-year-old from Essex says.

And for Liliana, her restricted view ticket was more of a special experience.

"You can see the back of the stage, all the setup that they have, where the dancers prepare to come on," she says.

"You can also see him [The Weeknd] arrive in his car.

"It's just that little thing that you can experience that not everyone else can see. For the amount of money that I paid, it's 100% worth the money."

It's also a great option for fans who can't afford the more expensive tickets, Liliana says, at a time when seeing your favourite singers is getting more pricey.

Pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras tour next year were priced up to £172.25 and a VIP experience could set you back more than £650.

A standing ticket to see Beyoncé on her Renaissance tour in London cost up to £410, soaring to more than £2,000 for VIP.

"No matter where you buy the tickets, you are going to get the full experience," says Liliana.

But some fans have spoken out about the price of the restricted view tickets, especially when it comes to the likes of Taylor and Beyoncé's tours which are expected to be among the highest grossing of all time.

Lily Redman, from Newport in south Wales, managed to bag Taylor tickets for her Cardiff and Wembley shows in June 2024.

However she was disappointed when she realised her seats for the Wembley gig would be behind the stage - even though they cost the same as Cardiff seats which don't have an obstructed view.

"I think it'll be OK because there is a catwalk so I'll see her go out but obviously, what everyone wants to see at the start when the artist comes out, we'll just have to watch the screen," she says.

"You kind of think, well, if I wanted to watch the screen, I'd just stay at home."

The 23-year-old says she's been going to gigs since she was a teenager and feels the rising price of tickets is making shows "inaccessible" for many.

She thinks even restricted view tickets can be overpriced and that it's unfair for artists to charge so much for them.

"I feel like every single person in that stadium arena, has come to see the show from start to finish," she says.

"They need to see the stage, the artist, the production... they're not there to watch the screens half the time."

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