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It really depends less on whether you want to be up front and more on how well organized the event is and how much the trip itself gets on your nerves. With smaller clubs, I'd agree - showing up 30 minutes early is usually pretty relaxed. But at big venues with seating, you seriously don't need to be there hours early, you're totally right about that. What often gets underestimated: even at big open-air festivals or standing-only events, it doesn't help much to show up 3-4 hours early. Most people don't show up until right before it starts anyway, and you'll quickly figure out whether the venue lets people in before the official start time or not.
From my experience, it's more about practical stuff - how do you want to get there, do you need to grab food somewhere, where are you parking. If you're driving and parking spots are tight, then it's worth showing up maybe an hour early. With public transport, you just need a buffer hour in case something goes wrong. And for festivals where you're pitching a tent or camping, that's a whole different ballgame anyway - best to head out a day early if you want to snag a decent spot.
Depends on whether you want to stand up front or if you don't care where you are. For smaller clubs, 30 minutes is totally fine, but for big venues with assigned seating you don't need to come early at all. But if you want to be up front at open-airs or standing-room-only concerts, you've gotta be there 1-2 hours beforehand, depending on how popular the concert is.
I see this differently than the previous answers - the most important factor is really how much you want to actually enjoy the event and not just "be there." For large venues with assigned seating, I agree, you can easily arrive an hour before the concert starts. But for standing room, arriving early is really only worth it if a good view of the stage matters to you. If you don't care where you stand, 30-45 minutes is plenty.
The trick though is to check beforehand how the venue operates. Some promoters are chaotic with entry, others have their stuff together. With smaller clubs, I've seen it so the place doesn't really come alive until the band takes the stage. You don't gain anything by arriving super early then. But for big open-air festivals or arena-like halls, chaos is guaranteed - I'd rather be there 60-90 minutes early just because ticket checks and bag searches can take forever.
My actual strategy: check the reviews or ask people who've been there before. And honestly - if it's an act you absolutely have to see from the front, then you need to come earlier. If it's about the music and not Instagram content, you'll quickly realize that a spot further back is also totally chill. The main thing is you're not stressed and can actually enjoy the concert.
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