Arena OR Stadiums. ..???

[Gavin82]

After a solid Arena leg now this is coming to an end so if there is a 2016 leg what would you rather Arenas OR Stadiums...???

 

[dan_smee]

Arenas. Close topic.

Just kidding, but honestly, how could ANYONE prefer stadiums?


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Gavin82]

More tickets would be available for stadiums...???

 

[The_acrobat]

With U2 I always plan to spend the money/wait in GA line in order to be close, no matter the venue. I do like that with stadiums tickets are easier to get, but arenas have a much better atmosphere, and you also don't have to worry about the weather. I prefer arenas every time, but if a stadium is all I can get, it doesn't really bother me.

 

[Gavin82]

Do you think they will change to stadiums if there is a 2016 that would mean changing the size of stage etc...??

The demand is defo there 4 nights in Dublin they could have easy done 2 more nights

Ive loved this Arena leg its been outstanding loved London #2 them brothers jamming with Edge

 

[U2Larry54]

Arenas. Close topic.

Just kidding, but honestly, how could ANYONE prefer stadiums?


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

Well, with stadiums you do get a bigger production, a larger crowd and it makes being down in front of the band even more special.

 

[djparky]

Tickets are easier to get to for stadiums but unless you're in the gold circle back you may as well not bother. As much as I liked 360 tour, seeing them in arenas has been very special

 

[dan_smee]

Arenas - every spot is great, sound is better, weather not an issue, band connect more, more energetic, don't have to line up for 10 hours to see from a good spot = win

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I'll be close to the stage regardless, so I really don't care... But I am intrigued to see how they could take this stage and translate it to a stadium setting.

Like could thy build a giant, popmart like screen but turn it sideways and allow for the same interaction? That would be a cool thing to see them try

 

[U2Larry54]

I'll be close to the stage regardless, so I really don't care... But I am intrigued to see how they could take this stage and translate it to a stadium setting.

Like could thy build a giant, popmart like screen but turn it sideways and allow for the same interaction? That would be a cool thing to see them try

That would be interesting, but the demand is not there for stadium shows especially on the in the round 360 scale, at least in North America. I think the band are content with this indoor show even if they visit the big markets in Latin America.

Also from the bands perspective, you can book indoor arena shows any time of the year and given the bands state of uncertainty on when next to tour or finish and release the next album, that to some extent makes things more flexible.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Huh?

 

[domo-kun]

Fuck stadiums really ... after this tour I don't want nothing alse but arena's.

-The facilities around arena's tend to be better, at least @ the gigs I went to.
-Gigs are more intimate,
-Less people lining up and making a fuss
-And no matter how late you arrive, you always have a cool spot .

At least if they stick with this stage for anything next tour or leg. (which I hope they do)

Getting tickets during general sale was hard / impossible yeah.
But need I remind people that the ticket drops have been so steady this tour. Pretty much everyone whom I met eventually ended up with 99% of the tickets they wanted. Including myself. Thanks to Interference, U2start, Facebook etc.

The fans that are fighting ticket touts these tour have been amazing.

So I really see no disadvantages.

 

[MrPryck2U]

U2 practically play stadiums as if their arenas. Plus, like others have said, tickets are easier to get.

 

[U2Larry54]

Fuck stadiums really ... after this tour I don't want nothing alse but arena's.

-The facilities around arena's tend to be better, at least @ the gigs I went to.
-Gigs are more intimate,
-Less people lining up and making a fuss
-And no matter how late you arrive, you always have a cool spot .

At least if they stick with this stage for anything next tour or leg. (which I hope they do)

Getting tickets during general sale was hard / impossible yeah.
But need I remind people that the ticket drops have been so steady this tour. Pretty much everyone whom I met eventually ended up with 99% of the tickets they wanted. Including myself. Thanks to Interference, U2start, Facebook etc.

The fans that are fighting ticket touts these tour have been amazing.

So I really see no disadvantages.

People are having an easier time getting what they want because demand is down. Nearly every Arena show on the Vertigo Tour soldout as fast as tickets could be sold. GA was very difficult to get and you would often have to pay 4 times face value from scalpers if you failed to get it in pre-sale or general sale. The band should have been booked in stadiums for the Vertigo Tour in North America.

There are aspects to stadium shows that are cool, but the demand has to be there for them to do it. The band struggled to sell 28,000 ticket to two arena shows in Denver this year, while on the last tour in Denver in 2011 they sold 80,000 tickets.

 

[Galeongirl]

Arenas. Close topic.

Just kidding, but honestly, how could ANYONE prefer stadiums?


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

Very easily. Ticket demands.

Stadiums have a MUCH larger floor, so there's far more GA tickets available. I prefer stadiums any freaking time. Plus more railspots = fun too, though on this tour there was a lot of rail for an arena show so that doesn't count this time around.

But still, for GA, Stadiums ftw.

People are having an easier time getting what they want because demand is down. Nearly every Arena show on the Vertigo Tour soldout as fast as tickets could be sold. GA was very difficult to get and you would often have to pay 4 times face value from scalpers if you failed to get it in pre-sale or general sale. The band should have been booked in stadiums for the Vertigo Tour in North America.

There are aspects to stadium shows that are cool, but the demand has to be there for them to do it. The band struggled to sell 28,000 ticket to two arena shows in Denver this year, while on the last tour in Denver in 2011 they sold 80,000 tickets.

Lol, the demand may be down in the US but not where Domo is from. Here the 4 arena shows sold out within mere minutes. We got our tickets for the last two shows the day and week before the actual shows in ticket drops.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

People are having an easier time getting what they want because demand is down. Nearly every Arena show on the Vertigo Tour soldout as fast as tickets could be sold. GA was very difficult to get and you would often have to pay 4 times face value from scalpers if you failed to get it in pre-sale or general sale. The band should have been booked in stadiums for the Vertigo Tour in North America.

There are aspects to stadium shows that are cool, but the demand has to be there for them to do it. The band struggled to sell 28,000 ticket to two arena shows in Denver this year, while on the last tour in Denver in 2011 they sold 80,000 tickets.

I had a significantly easier time getting Vertigo tickets than I did getting for this tour.

I lucked myself into a couple of tickets day of show twice, but other than that the market was bone dry.

 

[domo-kun]

More like the market was VERY wet ^ but full of scalpers.. *sigh*

 

[blueskies]

I was very sceptical about arena shows when the tour kicked off. But hell, I'd rather go to any arena than a stadium now. Especially with this stage, it's just brilliant. You've never had more rail spots, sound is awesome, the band is closer, it's more intimate and there's a real connection between the band and fans. Absolutely love it.
The current stage was made for arenas. I don't think they'd use it in stadiums, not even in a slightly modified way. U2 and crew are perfectionists. So they wouldn't half-heartedly change the stage to just somehow work in stadiums. They'd make a whole new stage if they wanted to go into stadiums. Which is possible but would be quite expensive. But more importantly I think they actually like the intimate feeling of arenas. They enjoy this tour. So while in the beginning I thought they'd switch to stadiums after SOE, I think so less and less with every gig I see.

 

[domo-kun]

Same here, I was a big sceptic before, as I only attended U2's stadium shows before. The biggest concern was the amount of rail spots.
But this stage blew any concerns about that out of the water. Not only is there more than enough rail spots, but when you get one, the band will be playing right in front of you many many more times than lets say on the 360 stage.
Obviously its easier for the guys to cover this amount of stage. Its just perfect.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Skeptic.

 

[domo-kun]

Skeptic.

Thanks, will try and not make that mistake again!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Ultimately I don't care either way.

I just want to know one way or another soon so that I can start making plans.

 

[corianderstem]

Ditto.

I prefer arenas, but fuck it, I'll see them in whatever kind of venue they go with.

... maybe not an airport hangar.

 

[Galeongirl]

I was very sceptical about arena shows when the tour kicked off. But hell, I'd rather go to any arena than a stadium now. Especially with this stage, it's just brilliant. You've never had more rail spots, sound is awesome, the band is closer, it's more intimate and there's a real connection between the band and fans. Absolutely love it.
The current stage was made for arenas. I don't think they'd use it in stadiums, not even in a slightly modified way. U2 and crew are perfectionists. So they wouldn't half-heartedly change the stage to just somehow work in stadiums. They'd make a whole new stage if they wanted to go into stadiums. Which is possible but would be quite expensive. But more importantly I think they actually like the intimate feeling of arenas. They enjoy this tour. So while in the beginning I thought they'd switch to stadiums after SOE, I think so less and less with every gig I see.

For the record, there weren't more railspots than the stadium gigs on 360. Just more than any other arena show where you only have the front stage and maybe a small B-stage.

On 360 if you were within the first 600 people, you'd pretty much have a railspot. On this tour, it was about 400. Not too bad for an arena show, but definitely not more rail spots than we ever had.

 

[blueskies]

Well, yes if you counted all rail in 360. Only back then a rail spot at the catwalk was not as good as it is now. At least that's my perception. But yes, if the sheer amount of rail spots counts, then it's probably about equal.

 

[Tim Wallach]

More like the market was VERY wet ^ but full of scalpers.. *sigh*

For what it's worth, I talked to several scalpers in Toronto before the show and they all told me they were taking a bath on those concerts. In fact a couple used the same phrase and said they "couldn't give them away."

I'm sure it was exaggerated scalper talk. But with the doom and gloom I heard, I wouldn't be shocked it scalpers back off a bit on the next leg.

 

[texstones]

After a solid Arena leg now this is coming to an end so if there is a 2016 leg what would you rather Arenas OR Stadiums...???

What we want really does not matter. What matters is what meshes best with some evolving business plan that is constantly in flux. A best guess that maximizes demand might be:

* arenas in North America this spring and early summer, with a focus on the east coast and southern states

* stadiums in Europe June/July through September

After that, who knows? Stadiums in Latin America? Arenas in Asia and Australia/NZ? Maybe some long-overdue China dates, assuming that some sort of agreement could be reached with the government there?

 

[blueskies]

What we want really does not matter. What matters is what meshes best with some evolving business plan that is constantly in flux. A best guess that maximizes demand might be:

* arenas in North America this spring and early summer, with a focus on the east coast and southern states

* stadiums in Europe June/July through September

After that, who knows? Stadiums in Latin America? Arenas in Asia and Australia/NZ? Maybe some long-overdue China dates, assuming that some sort of agreement could be reached with the government there?

For all we know, this is not going to happen. Seems pretty safe that the next leg will only start in late 2016 and presumably in NA. My guess is that it will be followed by SA and then rest of the world, certainly including Europe again. Arena or Stadium, who knows. There are no clear indications or even rumours regarding the type of venue.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Yay, I get to blow the dust off my favorite cliché and use it here:

The only thing that's for sure about U2 is that nothing's for sure.


-They've mentioned an alleged upcoming album to be released sometime in the (near?) future.

-Their long track record has shown that they can successfully tour by utilizing both arenas and stadiums.

-For all we know, they could completely abandon the SOI/E concept when the tour comes to its conclusion.

-IF they do release that alleged forthcoming album, they could introduce a new concept and run with that for their next tour. Perhaps something more well suited for a stadium tour?

-After last year's album release debacle, more than likely, they'll try something different if/when that next alleged album is released.

Meanwhile, enjoy that HBO special coming up next Monday and stay tuned for further speculation...uh, I mean news.

 

[blueskies]

Regarding the release, they don't see it as a debacle I think they're actually quite happy with the outcome and couldn't care less about the complaints.