September 18, 2024
Your Child’s First Concert: A Parent’s Guide
Young Swifties go wild at a Taylor covers show, part of the Saturday Morning Tunes concert series in Maryland. Image: Chris Gamber.
Sam Sessa, founder of the kid-friendly concert series Saturday Morning Tunes, offers crucial tips for attending live shows with your little ones.
Everyone remembers their first concert. The band, the venue, the people you went with—if it’s a good experience, it can lead to a lifetime of live music.
When my kids were little, I realized I wanted to share my love of live music with them, so I founded Saturday Morning Tunes, a family-friendly concert series based in Maryland and presented by radio stations WTMD and WYPR. We’ve done more than 60 shows since 2017, for more than 25,000 parents and kids—everything from themed concerts like Taylor Swift for Kids to alternative rock by bands like Jimmie’s Chicken Shack.
I’ve also taken my boys to hear bands at outdoor festivals, seated clubs and arenas. Along the way, I’ve picked up some best practices for concertgoing with kids (sometimes the hard way). Here’s a roadmap for building live-music memories with your own little ones.
Planning for the Show
Avoid small clubs. When taking your child to their first concert, steer clear of intimate venues, and only buy general admission tickets as a last resort. If it’s a popular show and you’re standing on the floor with everyone else, the only thing your little one will be able to see is the back of the person in front of them. The kid-on-shoulders technique might be popular, but it’s definitely not safe and is most likely prohibited by the venue.
Amphitheaters are great venues for first concerts. If there’s a pavilion, it typically has stadium seating, and the sloped lawn near the back offers space to spread out but still see everything. Or, if it’s a natural amphitheater like Colorado’s Red Rocks and people are standing, your child can stand on the seat next to you and still see the band.
Many amphitheaters have noise curfews at 10 or 11 p.m., which means you could be home before midnight—a win all around.
If your kids’ first concert is at a stadium or indoor arena, resist the urge to buy floor seats (same outcome as getting general admission tickets at a club show).
Aim for the first or second section up from the floor. Once you get to the third tier, your child will mostly be watching the show on the jumbotron, which defeats the purpose of going to a concert in the first place.
Outdoor festivals are ideal. Music festivals—provided they’re safe and professionally run—offer a number of advantages for family-friendly show-going. Each band plays a shorter set (perfect for shorter attention spans), and there’s typically decent sight lines and plenty of room to set up chairs. Depending on the event, they might also have more food and drink options, so everyone can find something they want.
Ear protection is a must. This is true for adults but especially for young eardrums. What to use depends on your child’s comfort level. For little ones, shooting-range-style earmuffs are common. Older kids (starting around ages 9-10) can use earplugs.
Aim for the first or second section up from the floor. Once you get to the third tier, your child will mostly be watching the show on the jumbotron.
Foam earplugs are less expensive and can work in a pinch. Hearos High Fidelity Ear Plugs, which cut ambient noise by as much as 20 decibels, are also an excellent option. They aim to preserve more balance and nuance in the live sound—and you can wash them!
Another good choice is Alpine Hearing Protection Party Plug Pro Natural Earplugs, connected by a cord which makes them harder to lose. That said, your kids will probably misplace a few earplugs before they get in the habit of putting them back in the case.
Getting to the Show
Resist the urge to park in the venue garage. Many larger clubs and arenas have attached garages which seem convenient but often lead you astray. Unless you arrive hours before the show starts and snag a spot on the first or second level, you’ll have to park high up, far away from the exit.
When the show ends, you can get stuck waiting to get out of the garage for half an hour or more. With kids in the car who are already up past their bedtime, that’s a recipe for disaster.
Instead, use an app like SpotHero to book a space in advance—ideally one that’s a five-to-10-minute walk from the venue (make sure it’s a safe neighborhood first).
At the Show
Study your surroundings. Where are the bathrooms? What is a good meeting point in case you get separated? After the music starts, it’s tough to find someone in a crowded, darkened space with calls or texts. Make sure everyone knows how to get to and from their seats.
Bring snacks if the venue allows. If you’re buying a meal, the cheapest and most filling option is almost always chicken fingers and fries. As day turns to night, you’ll want to keep your child’s energy level high and reduce the possibility of meltdowns.
Bring home a keepsake. Selfies at the show are fun, but it’s great to have something to take home and remember the night. Not all bands offer shirts in kid sizes, so it might have to be a T-shirt for you and a sticker, magnet or other knickknack for your little one. They’d grow out of a shirt in a few months anyway. But they’ll never forget their first concert.
