Q&A for How to Survive a General Admission Floor

Merriam-Webster defines it as: “a fee paid for admission to a usually unreserved seating area (as in an auditorium or stadium).” While this may vary from country to country, the idea is usually that the seating or standing area is not reserved and operates on a first come best served basis (what is "best" depends on your own preferences).

This will depend on the event provider’s terms and conditions but yes, general admission tickets usually involve standing for concerts and music festivals. If standing space is provided, it is probably safe to assume that general admission will be for that space. Always check the ticket terms and conditions for certainty; most events now have websites you can check before purchasing tickets.

This depends on your ticket. If you have general admission, the best time is to be waiting well before the doors even open (sometimes hours ahead), so you can rush to a preferred spot and claim it as yours. On the other hand, if you have an assigned seat that nobody else can take, you can be more leisurely in arriving closer to start time, remembering though that you still have to navigate crowds and get any refreshments you’d like ahead of the event.

Usually floor seats are general admission, and while this will mean standing room much of the time, there may be some seating, depending on the event and venue size. However, check the ticket terms and conditions for certainty; most venues and event holders have websites you can check for such information.

The seat number listed may just be a way for the venue to keep track of tickets sold. If the concert is General Admission, generally there will be no seats.

No. There is a maximum occupancy for each location.

If you have enough space to move around, consider shifting your weight from foot to foot. Many concerts will also allow breaks. During these breaks, you can sit down, stretch, etc. Lastly, the show may help distract you, and make you forget all about any potential aching.

Do NOT stand at the pit. Politely ask your friend if you could get section seats instead. If your friend refuses, see if you can stand towards the back or the edge of the floor area. These tend to get the least crowded, and you might feel more comfortable. If necessary, step outside of the hall for a few minutes; if anyone asks you why, politely explain to them that you were getting claustrophobic.

General Admission is a first come first serve situation. You don't get a number, so you can stand wherever you want, but in order to get a good spot, you need to arrive early.

It will say that it's a GA (general admissions) ticket, you won't have a row or a number of any kind.

You can wear whatever makes you comfortable, but be prepared in case you have to sit on the floor or end up standing on a chair. Leggings under your dress would be a good choice.

Try to move around the people until you can get a better view. If you can't, try asking the people if they could move a little or if you could stand in front of them. If they are much taller than you, they probably won't mind because the can see right over you. Also, many concerts have giant screens. If you can't see the stage, you can always watch the show from the screens.

Yes, but you should get a friend to pick it up before you get in or you'll lose it.

You should aim to be there 1-2 hours early. In addition to wanting to get good seats, you should account for traffic, parking, and lines (entrance, bathroom, concession, etc.) taking a while.

Generally, the GA floor will be too crowded for anything like that, and most venues will probably have some rules against it. However, if it's not too crowded and the venue allows chairs and blankets, go for it.

I would usually go whilst still waiting to get into the actual venue, there should be toilets nearby. You can also ask a friend to save your place in line or your place at the front of the venue.

The queues are not too bad since there’s usually more than one merchandise person and they get on with their job quickly. If you want to know what will be available and how much the items will cost, visit the artist's website. Usually they'll have everything listed on there and prices will be roughly the same at the concert.