I wish I could say I spent 30 nights at Madison Square Garden (MSG) with Harry Styles, but I did spend one.
On night 11 of Styles’s 30-night residency, I became one of roughly 18,000 people packed into the arena to see him perform. I had seen Styles twice before, but this time was different: instead of going with my mom, I went solo, sat in a 400s section and wondered whether a concert Styles had played 10 nights already could feel special.
It could. In fact, Styles made me wish I had 29 more tickets.
The experience started before I even moseyed my way to my seat.
After anxiously scanning my ticket, I took the escalator and was handed a new, novelty ticket. At every show, the team at MSG hands out uniquely designed tour tickets, with a new design featured on the back.
Mine said “Together,” surrounded by tiny graphics of the singer, with the Statue of Liberty and other New York City landmarks sprinkled throughout.
As if that wasn’t enough, Styles had HeadCount and Planned Parenthood tabling throughout the venue, handing out small goodies like postcards, raising awareness for their causes. It was a small detail, but it made the concert feel like more than just a night of music. Styles used the thousands gathered in MSG to bring attention to important causes beyond the stage.
Between the fun photo-ops, countless merch stands selling slightly overpriced items and thousands of fans in unique Styles-themed outfits, the concert felt like an event before it even started.
And then there was the actual show.
Jamie xx, a musician and DJ, opened the concert, mixing some popular songs like Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” Although he played some classic hits, I didn’t find his performance to be the most fun.
Dancing with a DJ is probably more enjoyable when you have pit tickets, though. I looked down and saw many people dancing, but that opportunity is limited when your seat touches the sky. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait very long for the main event to begin.
Before Jamie xx’s set even finished, Styles, his band and his dancers began making their way onto the stage. Jamie xx continued to play until the crew all took their places, before he made his way off the stage, letting Styles take over.
That small change made a huge difference. One of my least favorite parts of any concert is the awkward stretch between the opener and the headliner, when everyone wonders how much longer they have to wait.
Styles eliminated that issue entirely. Instead of killing the momentum, he created an atmosphere where the energy just kept building.
And then he appeared. Right in front of my section.
As someone who had seen him twice already, I had expectations. This show blew them all away.
One of my favorite parts of the production was the stage itself. Styles performed in the round, meaning the stage sat in the middle of the arena rather than at either end. From my seat in section 417, that mattered. While there were a few songs where he had his back to me, I still had a significantly better view than I would’ve if he had been performing at the other end of the arena.
Styles also covered up MSG’s usual screen, replacing it with his own larger screen that wrapped around the top of the arena.
Even from the nosebleeds, I never felt completely removed from the show.
And I wasn’t the only person enjoying myself. The balcony actually shook as everyone jumped and danced. Sitting there by myself didn’t feel so lonely when 18,000 people were screaming the same lyrics I was.
Styles played for almost two hours, bringing along many of his beloved band members, including Pauli Lovejoy and Sarah Jones.
This time, Styles also added two new dancers to join his crew. They weren’t onstage the whole time, but when the concert shifted into the club-inspired sound of his new album, “Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally," they added more energy to the performance.
As for the setlist, I was mostly content with the songs chosen. He played most of the songs from his latest album, except “Painting by Numbers,” the song rumored to be about Liam Payne’s passing.
However, if I could hand-select the songs, I would’ve made a few minor changes.
Here is where I am going to be a little controversial: Styles needs to let go of the “Fine Line” singles.
Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoy his songs “Adore You” and “Watermelon Sugar.” But I have heard them too many times.
If I am paying money for a Styles concert in 2026, I want the deep cuts.
Give me “Canyon Moon.” Give me “Grapejuice.” Give me “Treat People With Kindness.” I, and I’m sure many other fans, are willing to sacrifice “Watermelon Sugar" for the cause.
Overall, though, the show was something I wish I could relive over and over. It was a night of dancing and fun, and marked my first solo concert trip.
However, no conversation about this concert is complete without bringing up the price.
Tickets for his residency were expensive. I bought my ticket from a reseller, so I knew I was going to pay more than face value. But even the face-value tickets weren’t exactly easy on a college student’s bank account.
Some $50 tickets were available in the nosebleeds, but many fans who wanted to get even slightly closer could pay close to $300 for the upper level or 200s.
Styles recently announced a 2027 leg of this tour, where dynamic pricing was turned off and prices were capped. Many North American prices didn't exceed $400, even for pit tickets.
As a fan, it’s frustrating to see such a difference in pricing between the legs of the tour. I understand that concert tickets are a business, but it is hard not to look at the next leg and wonder why they got a better deal.
Still, I can’t let ticket prices completely overshadow what was one of my favorite concert experiences.
I went to Styles’s 11th night at MSG knowing I would probably never get to experience all 30 shows.
By the end of the night, that was exactly what I wanted.
I wanted to hear a different song the next night. I wanted to see what design would be on the next ticket. I wanted to know what signs Styles would point out in the crowd, what outfit he would wear and whether the balcony would shake just as much as it did during my show.
I didn’t get 30 nights.
I got one.
But now I get another.
I may have complained about the ticket prices, but the 2027 prices were too good to pass up. So now, instead of wishing I could relive that night, I get to experience it all over again—this time in Atlanta, with my mother by my side.
Kaelyn Blizard is the head editor of The Setonian’s Features section. She can be reached at kaelyn.blizard@student.shu.edu.
