Concertgoers: What Age is Considered Too Old?

What started as a irritated debrief flipped into online catastrophe. Meg, a 25-year-old TikTok user, wanted to complain about her night after attending her favorite artists concert for the first time. After getting to the venue, she was immediately shocked. The audience was built of tween girls, and she seemed to be the oldest one there. Sombr, a 20-year-old musician viral for his romance songs, has over 55 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and an army of youth behind him that certainly wasn’t prepared for by most.

The internet went wild over her long story, and although this drama began with younger generations, it raised questions in concern for older fans. Many feel like they can’t attend concerts of their favorite music artists because they aren’t hip or young enough— they feel out of place. Meg lit a fuse, encouraging others to share their same unusual experiences at the new-celebrities events, or debate her strong opinions.

What age stands as that thin red line, determining when adults are forced to stop attending certain musicians live performances?

The concert was said by many to have a crowd of immature youth. Meg explains that the audience was only tweens and their parents, and that the kids were “running around like they were at a middle school dance.” For song lyrics that occasionally boil over from heat, the group of young girls attending was shocking for Meg.

Another one of her complaints—and what others have also said—was that once Sombr came onto the stage, he immediately began cracking jokes that only an audience of 12-to-16-year-olds would understand. These were just a handful of the flaws that ruined Meg’s concert experience. Concerts should be places where anyone of all ages can go and enjoy live entertainment. That was what Meg planned on doing, but instead left early because she wasn’t having a good time. The adults online agreed with her, having nearly identical experiences.

Going to TikTok with her complaints, however, did not turn out the way she had hoped. The backlash was immediate.

Most who berated her happened to be younger tweens that attended Sombr’s concerts, or were fans. Although Meg is only five years older than him, she was being told that she shouldn’t go to his concert because she was too old.

People are consistently judged for what they like: their hobbies, their clothes, and their passions. Because of the recent drama, concerts are being put at the forefront of this public discussion.

According to a recent study done by Age Without Limits, one in four people think that it is embarrassing when people in their 50s and 60s go to concerts of younger artists such as Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa. This proves that a quarter of people are okay with blatantly saying that the concerts you go to should reflect your age.

The same survey said that younger people are more likely to agree with ageist ideals and pre-conceived notions about what older people can and cannot do. “As we age, we might encounter…barriers but ageism should never restrict us from…the music we want to listen to, the activities we want to do or the aspirations we set ourselves,” said Dr. Carole Easton, the Chief Executive at the Center for Aging Better.

Aging is a privilege, and those who get to experience that privilege should be able to do what makes them happy. If that means going to a Taylor Swift concert, no one should have the right to stop them.

This debate has brought up some burning questions: is there an age that is considered too old to be attending concerts?

Music is for everyone. It is heard in the same symphonies throughout any language or culture, uniting people in ways nothing else can. Concerts need to be an extension of that mentality. Hearing live music is something that people love, and the comments that have stemmed from Meg’s video has created a hurricane of discourse. No one should be denied the ability to experience great music, so whether you’re in your 20s or your 50s, you should be able to enjoy all of the live music you want.

Does the age of those around you at concerts affect your experience? Leave a comment below.