With more scorching temperatures on the horizon, this can only mean festival season is in full swing. But would you do it alone?
One concert lover – who has attended 12 live shows alone – has encouraged other women to feel empowered by doing the same.
Nicole Elizabeth, 38, from south-east London, says attending gigs alone has boosted her confidence, and to motivate others she now shares her top safety tips.
Nicole’s decision to fly solo was prompted by reluctant friends who she said could not go with her to see the Royal Dragon at the Royal Albert Hall last November.
After taking the “scary” leap and attending the performance alone, she likened the feeling to an “overwhelming sensation.”
Nicole Elizabeth, 38, from South East London, has revealed she goes to gigs alone
Nicole says attending gigs on her own has boosted her confidence
She recalls, “Attending performances on my own was a challenge for myself at first. I was tired of waiting for people to go out!
‘The experience left me feeling empowered and helped me overcome the fear of being alone at a social event.
“It’s a form of social freedom to be able to strike up a conversation with a stranger and be on my own in a new environment.”
Nicole admitted that she was initially afraid of going to a concert alone. However, she said she overcame this by striking up conversations with strangers.
‘It’s also nice to be alone in my own thoughts. At first it was scary to go out alone. It was a very nerve-wracking experience and it felt a bit lonely, but I also had an overwhelming sense of tension.”
“I overcame my fear by smiling at others and being friendly to strangers,” Nicole said. ‘What I have learned is that you can share experiences with people you meet during performances.’
The solo giggoer admitted she had seen 12 live shows in six months on her own
Although most people wouldn’t dare go to a concert alone, Nicole finds her hobby, solo performances, ’empowering’
When she’s feeling particularly nervous, Nicole has several “techniques” to calm herself down, such as asking a friend to be “on call” if she needs to talk along the way.
As a woman, she knows that safety comes first and that this can often be a major obstacle for fellow women who want to go to events alone.
She said: ‘I would recommend apps like Strut Safe [a volunteer phone line] so you can talk to someone when you walk home alone at night.
‘And have your favorite music playlist downloaded offline so it can soothe you on the go. I think many women would be afraid to go to performances alone because of the safety issue.
‘I feel safe after visiting these locations [that I have been to so far]especially now that measures have been taken such as Ask Angela [a code phrase women can tell staff when they feel unsafe].
Nicole understands why some women wouldn’t go to performances alone for safety reasons
She recommends that women who would like to try their hand at solo performance use apps like Strut Safe [a volunteer phone line] so they can talk to someone as they walk home at night
‘There is still a lot of social pressure that makes people think they are being judged for going out alone. But I think it is becoming less and less taboo to go to performances or other social events alone.’
In an unexpected benefit, she says having “me time” to do what she loves has helped her relationship, as her partner, Carlton Senior, 45, doesn’t share her taste in music.
Nicole added, “Going to gigs alone is a powerful experience! It’s a vulnerable space at first, but after going through this, I feel like I’m tapping into an independence I never knew I had!
‘The experience forces me to be present, take in the surroundings and really enjoy myself’
Nicole also shared her favorite set: the iconic British girl band Spice Girls at Wembley Stadium.
Knowing how hard it can be to find the courage to go it alone, she has also launched her own women-only music events.
A concert ticket company has also launched ‘solo socials’ to help fans. Research shows that one in five women feels ‘anxious’ about going to a performance alone.
The research, published by viagogo, also shows that 73 percent of women have never gone to a concert alone.
2,000 Britons were asked about their attitudes towards attending music concerts independently. The data shows that almost a quarter of fans said they didn’t trust their own business (24%), wouldn’t feel safe (24%) or felt ‘way too anxious’ (22%) to go solo to go.
One in five (17%) admitted they would feel uncomfortable traveling alone to a show, while a further one in seven (13%) said they would feel ‘judged’ by others for enjoying themselves a performance
The gender gap has shocking consequences: half of men have only been to a live show, compared to just over a quarter of women (27%)
In response to the statistics, the digital ticketing company is debuting its first ‘Solo Socials’ event – specifically designed to build trust and bring solo giggers together.
The event takes place ahead of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows in London.