Poor stage visibility, weak setlist response and resale tickets for 11 euros: The start of the Harry Styles residency in Amsterdam is not going as hoped.
Harry Styles kicked off his tour on Saturday, May 16th with the opening show in Amsterdam. But this time the fans are apparently not as hyped for the live performances as they were on his last tour. At least many are still selling last-minute tickets on resale platforms like Ticketswap – but tickets are also still available on Ticketmaster.
Why are there so many resale tickets?
Many people tried to pass on their tickets in advance, as some dates for the tour were only announced later. Some fans had bought tickets for several dates and then secured tickets for a better day – in the expectation of being able to get rid of the other tickets.
Mixed first impressions
The first impressions of the tour are mixed. Many complained that the view of Harry Styles was made difficult by the large stage and that they sometimes did not see the singer for 20 minutes. Particularly in the front rows, where fans had purchased VIP tickets in order to be up close, the view is severely restricted by the stage’s high bridge structures.
Another point of criticism is the setlist: it doesn’t contain that many songs from the new album. Styles plays songs from his albums “Fine Line”, “Harry’s House” and “Kiss all the Time. Disco, occasionally” in relatively equal proportions. Many fans say the tracklist is very similar to his previous tour – except he added the new songs.
The new album: sold better than expected, but received mixed results
His new album, which is also the reason for the tour, did not perform as well commercially as hoped – although initial sales exceeded those of his previous albums. According to “Radiohamburg”, it sold twice as well in Austria and Switzerland and even ten times as well in the Netherlands as the previous releases. On its first day, the album recorded 63 million streams on Spotify.
Nevertheless, reviews of the new LP are mixed. Many found his announcement of a disco album to be an exaggeration – the new album is more electronic, but not as promised. What’s noticeable compared to the last albums is that there’s no big hook song. Even though lead single “Aperture” blew up upon release, it’s comparatively not as big as “As It Was” or “Watermelon Sugar” from his last two albums. This means that the hype among the less die-hard Styles fans is significantly less, as “The Circle” reported.
Tickets in resale sometimes for ridiculous prices
The tour is not as fully booked as expected. Resale tickets are sometimes offered for ridiculous prices – snappers are circulating on TikTok for 11 euros. Some spontaneously buy resale tickets that same evening for half the original price. However, most sellers try to get rid of their cards at the original price. Depending on the category, this can be between 70 and 350 euros. On Ticketswap it can be seen that tickets are resold in almost all entry categories.
However, this is only possible if you live in Amsterdam – because Harry Styles introduced the residency concept with this tour and does not tour the whole world. He plays eight more shows at the Johan Cruijff Arena Amsterdam. From June 12th he can be heard at Wembley Stadium in London.
