Harry Styles fans attending the singer’s sold-out Perth concert at HBF Park next Monday (February 20) have been advised not to camp outside the venue prior to the day of the show.
In recent months, local fans of Styles on TikTok have been at odds with one another over some Perth concertgoers’ plans to camp outside the venue early, in order to secure prime standing positions for the general admission area of the show.
Some claimed they were intimidated at the idea of being forced to follow an unofficial, fan-created wristband system to allocate space closer to the front of the dancefloor for those who began lining up first for entry.
HBF Park, however, has warned Styles fans that they will be asked to leave if they show up too early for the concert. “For the wellbeing and safety of our patrons, camping for the Harry Styles Love on Tour Concert is strictly prohibited,” a statement shared on the venue’s Instagram last week reads.
“Any patrons queueing or camping prior to 8am on event day will be asked to move. No priority entry will be given to anyone camping outside the venue prior to event day, and fan made early line systems will not be honoured.”
Fan response to HBF Park’s approach has been mixed. While there are many comments on the Instagram post thanking the venue for their approach, others have pointed out that eager concertgoers were permitted to camp outside fellow Perth venue RAC Arena for Billie Eilish‘s concert there last year.
Speaking to WA Today, concertgoer Jasmine Whitehead said she felt it was “surprising” that the venue was “being this strict with the camping rule” and suggested it could lead to “a stampede of girls running to the gate at 8am”.
Whitehead camped out for three days to see Eilish’s RAC Arena show last year, and also coordinated an unapproved wristband system to give fans who began queuing up early first access to spots close to the stage – the “early line system” HBF Park alludes to in its statement.
Last year, UK store Banquet Records similarly discouraged fans from camping out early for shows it was hosting by Styles’ former One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson at Kingston venue Pryzm. The record store put in place a system whereby those who began queueing very early would be the last to gain access to the venue.
Styles’ Perth show next Monday will kick off the singer’s Australian tour. The following Friday (February 24) he’ll begin a two-night run at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, before shows on the Gold Coast and in Sydney. Styles will be joined for the run by Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg.