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In winter 2024, Adele announced her highly anticipated 10-show residency in Munich, and on August 16th, my mom and I went to see her perform. Since we already had tickets to Coldplay on August 17th, also in Munich, Adele just naturally became part of our concert-packed weekend. Keep reading to hear my (maybe unpopular) thoughts about the venue chosen for her residency!
Tickets and the View
I got tickets in B2 sector, row 21, seats 36/37. At first, I was worried that we’d be too much on the side, but honestly, the overall view wasn’t bad because the screens were massive.
When I bought the tickets, I assumed the seating would be amphitheater-style, but nope—sectors A and B were flat on the floor. If everyone stands (and obviously they do), it’s impossible to see anything except the screen. Sector C had a slight incline, which helped a bit, and sector D, even though it was the farthest, probably had the best view of both the stage and the screens.
Tickets and the Price
So here’s where things get controversial: I think the tickets were way too expensive for a concert of this size. I paid €280 per ticket, which was on the cheaper side, but we still ended up on the floor, staring at a screen most of the time.
For comparison, I paid €220 for Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour in Hamburg, and those seats were in the first ring of the stadium with an amazing view of the stage—we could actually see her (small, but still visible!). Adele’s venue held 80,000 people, and for nearly €300, it felt like a bit of a rip-off. I get that the production—the screens, the staging, and Adele’s World—was expensive, but it felt like the focus shifted from music to spectacle. And I wasn’t really a fan of all that.
However, please keep in mind that this is in no way a criticism of Adele or her performance itself.
The Venue and the Vibe
This might be another unpopular opinion, but I didn’t really like the venue. And I didn’t think it suited Adele. Her music is so emotional and intimate—it feels like it needs a cozy, close-up setting.
Instead, the residency was held at Messe München (Munich Trade Fair Center), a massive open area that felt more like an exhibition space than a concert venue. Yes, the giant screens and visuals were impressive, but as I mentioned before, it felt like the music wasn’t the primary focus here. For example, during some songs, they even showed pre-recorded visuals instead of Adele performing live, which honestly felt like just watching a music video on a big screen.
One of the best parts of seeing Adele is experiencing her emotions, expressions, and movements—they add so much to the feeling of her music. But in such a huge venue, a lot of that magic got lost.
The Venue and Infrastructure
Regarding the venue itself and the infrastructure, I don’t think that place is actually intended to fit 80,000 people. Queues were huge—whether for food, drinks, or bathrooms. Even if you managed to get a drink, returning your glass to get your deposit back required another long wait. Luckily, we ate and had a beer before heading to the venue, so we avoided all of this. In general, you could find places with shorter queues, but you really needed time to walk around and check for the best spots.
Bathrooms
The bathroom situation was... not great. The queue for the main bathroom tent was ridiculously long, but after wandering around, we found some smaller ones on the side with much shorter lines.
That said, the bathrooms themselves weren’t great either. They were tiny, temporary cabins, and some of them were already flooding. Definitely not pleasant. Honestly, the whole bathroom and queue situation made skipping drinks at the venue an easy choice.
Also, can we just talk about how venues still don’t build enough bathrooms for women? Come on—it’s 2024.
The Merch
Of course, I had to add it to my merch collection (does 10 T-shirts officially count as a collection?). We got ours from a smaller merch tent on the right side of the venue, and the queue there was pretty manageable—only about 10 minutes.
As for the designs, I wasn’t blown away. I went for a grey T-shirt with the tour info on the back, but overall, I feel like they could’ve done better with the designs. It’s okay, I guess, but not my favorite.
The Timeline
Here’s how the evening went:
7:00 PM: Arrive at the venue
8:00 PM: Adele starts
10:10 PM: The end
The Setlist
Adele performed 20 songs, including all her biggest hits, and I really enjoyed it! You can find the full setlist here.
Adele in Munich Performance
Well, it’s Adele. Enough said. She was incredible. Her voice is magical, her music is beautiful, and on top of that, she’s absolutely hilarious. I loved how she tried to connect with the audience, even though it’s tough with 80,000 people.
Some highlights: she used her famous T-shirt cannon, invited a fan on stage, and even left a surprise note under a random seat. During one song, the confetti included personal printed photos of Adele, which was such a thoughtful touch.
Overall, I loved the performance and would love to see her again—hopefully in a smaller, more intimate venue.
After the concert, it took around an hour of waiting in line to get on the train, but eventually, we made it back to our hotel. We grabbed a falafel döner on the way and then went to rest up for the next day... because we were off to see Coldplay!