As someone who is both a student and lives a great deal away from London (up in Scotland to be more precise), I’ve found that going to concerts is awfully pricey. So this guide is for anyone who wishes to spend less attending concerts, and because nobody is more stingy than a Scot – don’t deny it fellow Scots – this article is primed for spending as little as possible.
CONCERT TICKETS
First up is the concert ticket itself, although if you’re saving money on travel/accommodation then you may be able to afford a more expensive ticket, the best option for spending less is to buy the cheapest option. The cheapest tickets at concerts are usually seating, so if you’re willing to forgo the chance to squish to the front in order to save money, then it’s best to do so. Personally, even when I have money, I still find seating the best option as it’s far more comfortable and well as being cheaper!
TRAVEL
I’ve seen many people complain about how their train to London is ‘so expensive’, but have you ever considered taking a coach? From where I live, it takes me 11 hours to get to London on the coach, but seeing as it’s half the price of a train ticket and travel during the night – therefore sleep most of the journey – it’s well worth doing. If however, you can find a train cheaper than a coach, by all means go for it. But usually coaches are your cheapest option, and I would recommend National Express. Most people are under the impression that MegaBus is the cheapest, and National Express is the expensive option. But I’ve found that both buses, are physically the same model of bus, and often National Express is cheaper. It is however, a good idea to check both sites to ensure the cheapest deal. If you are really keen on trains, then check Red Spotted Hanky to find the cheapest option.
ACCOMMODATION
The very cheapest option for accommodation for concerts, is to not get any accommodation at all. If your journey is long, travel during the night and arrive in London on the morning before the concert, and then get the last bus/train home after the concert is finished. This isn’t ideal if you want to hang out with friends in London, but the idea is to save money. Other options for accommodation are hostels and pub hotels. Hostels can be as cheap as £20 a night, but are not ideal if you don’t like the idea of sharing a room with strangers. However, if you are travelling in a large group, or you can organise a group, then you can all pay for the same room. Pub hotels would be the second option if you are travelling alone or with one other person. Pub hotels are generally fairly cheap, on average around £40 a night. The downside being that not all pub hotels are well kept, and they are often noisy until late. But for a place to crash after a concert, they are pretty good and there are usually pub hotels located fairly close to venues. Lastly, you can try and crash at a friend’s. If you have a friend who lives in London and would be willing to offer their floor or couch to you, then there’s another option right there.
FOOD/DRINK
Whilst you are in London, you’ll need to eat, obviously. But London is often an expensive place food wise, or at least, restaurant wise. It’s best to avoid restaurants for the most whilst in London, unless you can find yourself a good deal. Korean restaurants seem fairly well priced, and Seoul Bakery is a personal favourite. However, the place is small, so at peak times you can find yourself waiting on a seat, but if you don’t mind waiting then it’s worth it. It’s best to pack some food with you before you leave home, such as enough food for travelling with, and perhaps breakfast/lunch for the day of the concert (depending when you actually leave home). When it comes to dinner/tea time, it’s probably best to stick to fast food places like MacDonalds/Subway etc which will quell your hunger for a fair price. They may not be very healthy, but we’re thinking about money here. If you decide that you’ve already saved enough money, and intead want to splash out a little on your food, then be my guest. Most importantly though, do not ignore dietary requirements in favour of saving money. I.e. eating food you are medically prohibited to eat.
So these are the basics on how to save money at K-pop concert times, or concert times in general. You don’t have to follow all of it, of course, but it should give you a good idea of how to save some money when you need to. All in all, by following a combination of the above steps, I personally can save from £40 all the way up to around £150+. Tips well used! If these are any use to you, feel free to bookmark the page for later. And if they have worked for you, or you’re going to give it a bash, let us know in the comments section below!
