The Weeknd: Are restricted view concert tickets a good alternative?

When you go to see your favourite artists, chances are you're going to want the best view of them rocking the stage.

But imagine paying for tickets which get you there, only to end up being blocked by speakers or a stage prop.

Doesn't sound ideal, but for some it's a cheaper way to see the likes of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and The Weeknd.

Not all fans have had a great time and some stars have faced criticism for even those seats being overpriced.

So are the tickets as bad as they sound?

Later, The Weeknd will take to the stage in Wembley Stadium for the latest gig on his After Hours Til Dawn tour.

Rosalie Streenstra saw the singer from a "restricted view" seat at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam in June, but says it was still a great experience.

Anyone looking on social media for an idea of what to expect will have seen the same piece of his staging: a huge inflatable moon that has been blocking some fans' view.

Rosalie had been there before to see Beyoncé and had the "perfect view", in front of the middle of the stage in the top ring.

When the 19-year-old student bought tickets to see The Weeknd for €50 (£43), she was told her view would be restricted but says she didn't expect the obstruction to be so big.

"But [this time] because of the big moon in the centre, I couldn't see the entire stage and almost the entire catwalk," she says.

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".

After buying the cheapest ticket available, Rosalie has no regrets about not being able to see a lot of The Weeknd's performance.

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

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

She says she paid about £25 for the last-minute ticket, which was for a seat behind the stage.

She'd 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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