A music lover who’s taken herself to 12 concerts solo in just half a year is encouraging more women to do the same – while sharing her go-to safety strategies for navigating gigs alone.
As festival season rolls in, Nicole Elizabeth is calling on women to embrace the freedom and empowerment that comes with attending live music events on their own, despite concerns around safety and confidence that often hold people back.
Fresh data from viagogo highlights just how widespread those concerns are – 73% of women have never been to a concert alone, citing fear and lack of confidence as the top reasons.
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But Nicole, 38, from southeast London, is determined to challenge that mindset. Her own experience of flying solo at gigs has become a journey of personal growth and empowerment – so much so that she’s now made it her mission to encourage other women to feel safe, confident, and independent at music events.
What started out as a personal challenge quickly turned into something transformative. “I was sick of waiting around for people to come with me,” she explained. “At first, it was scary really nerve-racking and, honestly, a little lonely. But it was also incredibly exhilarating.”
Going it alone gave Nicole a new sense of confidence and freedom. “It’s taught me how to be comfortable with myself in social settings. I’ve learned that you can have beautiful shared experiences with strangers at gigs, just by being open and friendly.”
Her first solo show was Royal Dragon at the Royal Albert Hall last November, after none of her friends could make it. Since then, she hasn’t looked back – and now enjoys the total freedom of seeing whichever artist she wants, whenever she wants.
Her standout moment so far? Seeing the Spice Girls live at Wembley Stadium – a full-circle moment for someone inspired by girl power.
Interestingly, Nicole says her solo gig-going habit has also brought unexpected benefits to her relationship. Since her partner Carlton Senior, 45, doesn’t share her taste in music, having the space to pursue her passion solo has made their bond even stronger.
Of course, Nicole’s not naïve about the realities of safety for women in public spaces. She has a number of tried-and-true methods to stay safe and calm when going out alone like asking a friend to stay available by phone in case she needs to chat, or downloading a comforting playlist to ease anxiety during her journey.
“There’s still a lot of pressure and judgment around women being out alone, but I think that’s slowly shifting,” she said. “I always feel more secure at venues that offer clear safety measures, like the Ask Angela initiative.”
She also recommends resources like Strut Safe, a volunteer-run phone line that offers support for people walking home alone at night.
Acknowledging the difficulty many women face in pushing past the initial fear, Nicole has even started hosting her own women-only music events – designed to create a safer, more welcoming environment where women can enjoy live music without stress.
Her efforts are perfectly timed. According to viagogo’s recent survey of 2,000 UK adults, nearly a quarter of respondents said they were held back from attending concerts solo due to anxiety, fear of being judged, or not feeling safe. The gender gap was clear – twice as many men as women said they’d gone to a show on their own.
To help bridge that gap, viagogo is launching its first-ever Solo Socials – a series of events meant to build confidence and foster connections among people attending concerts by themselves.
The initiative includes support from both a seasoned gig-goer and an NHS doctor, aiming to give practical advice for feeling safe and self-assured in live music spaces.
Nicole says she understands the vulnerability that comes with stepping into a crowd alone, but believes the benefits far outweigh the fears.
“It’s so liberating. Once you do it, you realise you’re stronger than you thought – and you might even enjoy the experience more than you expected.”
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