The 1975's Glasgow concert re-sparks questions over fan camping culture

By Johnny Murray

SSE Hydro host a variety of events, including The 1975 (GettyImages)

Groups of excited fans have made themselves at home outside the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, braving the cold winter conditions with the hope of gaining their dream spot at the very front for the big occasion – the heavily anticipated return of the 1975.

This is the third visit in just over a year for the Manchester based band who have gained themselves something of a cult following over the last 11 years or so, since they released their self-titled debut album in 2013.

The action kicks off on the 8th of Feb, but the hordes of campers have been here since early on Tuesday, which prompts the question, how safe is concert camping culture?

The idea of camping out in advance of a concert is no new sensation. It stretches back as far as the times of Beatlemania in the 60s, and even before then. It’s always been prevalent in the live music scene, so why now has it become more widespread and even demonised?

In the wake of the ever-growing social media culture, namely Tik Tok and Twitter, it has become very common for fanbases to meet online and form groups amongst each other, befriending each other and awaiting the occasion of their favourite artist/band playing near them. On the surface it seems like a harmless sub-culture for live music-goers that allows them to socialise and make friends. However, some people think otherwise and that something should be done to prevent the danger they put themselves in, as well as the violation of rules surrounding camping.

Fans have been camping outside of venues since the 60’s (GettyImages)

Most live music venues in the UK and worldwide have a no camping policy. This sparked controversy in late 2022 when fans who were camped out for a Louis Tomlinson gig in London were sent to the back of the queue for not following the clear rules from the venue at Banquet records that camping was forbidden. This led some to argue that it was cruel and was punishing fans for their commitment, whilst others praised the action of tackling extreme queuing behaviour.