Tips for GA - Read if you’re attending the next shows
I attended the first The Sphere show yesterday and I had a blast! It was everything you expect from No Doubt (and more!)
I thought it would be nice to share some thoughts and tips for anyone attending the next shows!
The Sphere outside gates: opens at 6pm
The Sphere floor doors (EAST ENTRY for regular GA): opens at 7pm
Show started around 8:50pm.
Before I proceed, bear in mind that were LOTS of disrespectful fans. I hope you don’t face them, but be prepared for that.
EARLY LINE UP
The Sphere sent out emails saying it’s NOT permitted to line up outside before the show. I went early anyway. I got there around 2pm and there were already a few people queueing up, but not that many. I’d recommend going early if you want to secure a good spot. I was lucky to get to the barricade.
The queue was forming outside The Sphere, on the sidewalk nearest to EAST ENTRY FLOOR at Sands Ave.
6PM - THE SPHERE GATES
At 6pm, ONE security guard opened the gate. There was only one more guard inside. Needless to say, it was a hot mess. Even the guards telling everyone not to run, most people did it anyway. How are 2 guards gonna stop hundreds of fans? I don’t know, ask The Sphere management.
On top of that, NO ONE knew where to go to wait for the 7pm doors to open. There was no signage, no snakes to form queues, and the guards were completely clueless too. Eventually we figured out we just had to queue right outside the East Entry Floor.
At this stage, the queues were all messed up and people who had just arrived, managed to get to the front of the queue, while others who had been there for hours, ended up much further away.
7PM - EAST ENTRY FLOOR OPENS
There are 2 doors, so the queue was split in 2, so 2 queues were formed then. As soon as the door opened, people behind pushed through to scan their tickets before I did. Bear in mind these people were not there earlier, they managed to skip the queue and then just rudely moved ahead of everyone. The guard DID NOT care.
Once in, things got a bit more organised. We were led to another queue (to wait for VIP people to go in first), and then we were allowed to go in once all VIP made it to the floor.
Before they released us, the guards said “no running” - but guess what? As we got closer to the floor, people ran to the barricade anyway.
I was lucky to still get to the barricade with the friends I made there, who were all super lovely.
GENERAL THOUGHTS / TIPS
- There were NO numbered wristbands or any system for regular GA tickets
- The Sphere was VERY unprofessional and highly unorganised. Not what I expected from such a grand venue. Let‘s see how they handle this in the next shows though.
- There were so many rude and disrespectful fans who tried to get in front of others who had been there for hours before them. They didn’t give a sh*t even when confronted.
- VIP took most of the barricade, but it’s still possible to get a great spot.
Good luck to everyone and I hope you have an incredible experience. Happy to answer any questions in the comments, drop them and I’ll reply to you when I can.