The phenomenon of going to family concerts: "When my father is gone one day, what I'll remember are the concerts we went to together."

Just a few days ago, a viral video went viral around the world showing a man and a woman caught on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert cheating on their partners. At the same time, at concerts, there's a growing phenomenon: enjoying live music with family . To avoid conflicts, it's better to opt for the latter. Because in the midst of thousands of strangers, what's better than singing with someone you've known your whole life?

Bruno Gutiérrez knows a lot about this, and considers himself AC/DC 's biggest fan. He's seen them live countless times, the first time in 2000, when he was 17. The first time he asked to go, he was 13, but they wouldn't let him. It was back in 2009 when his mother insisted they go see them together, a plan that Bruno's sister later joined.

He remembers being very attentive to them at that concert—his sister had just turned 18 at the time—but they enjoyed it like never before. Or so they thought, because fast-forward to July 2025 and Bruno, his mother, and his sister have returned to the AC/DC concert in Madrid, and they've had a great time together again.

"It's been 15 years, and the fact that the three of us can be here again is a wonderful feeling." When he saw the news that AC/DC was returning to Madrid, he sent a message to his mother: "She didn't answer, I immediately saw an incoming call from her. It was she who insisted we go," says Bruno, who fondly remembers that day. "At the concert, I hugged my sister, I hugged my mother... I don't know, just to close the circle a little," he jokes, before recalling how his 66-year-old mother was propped up at one point during the show.

One of his fondest memories of that day was a girl who approached her mother and told her how moved she was to see her with her daughter. "She told her she had recently lost her mother, and that's why seeing them reminded her a lot of her, because they used to go to concerts together. It was very nice," Bruno recalls.

Nacho Córdoba , Head Promoter for the ticketing company Live Nation, explains that, although they don't keep an official count of who their ticket buyers attend with, by attending the concerts they organize themselves, they have observed that there has been a general increase in family audiences.

He explains that there are generally two sides to this relatively new trend. On one hand, there's the nostalgia factor , with parents who have introduced their children to legendary bands like Hombres G or, more specifically, AC/DC. On the other hand, there are those "big events," as Córdoba defines them, which children may enjoy more, such as concerts by Taylor Swift or Aitana , for example, and which are often attended by parents or other family members.

On July 30th and 31st, former Triunfo star Aitana gave two mega-concerts in Madrid, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, after having been postponed for two years due to various complications. Under a blazing sun and in the middle of the summer holidays, hundreds of families milled around the stadium waiting to get in.

Live music rejuvenates, or so they say, and it seems so. Carmen Pérez , 23, used to go to concerts with her dad as a teenager. Her first was at Justin Bieber 's Stadium Tour in Cardiff in 2017. "It really made a difference to me that they let me go, because I wasn't expecting it, and since then I've known how cool it is. I made friends in the queue, and my dad made friends with some of the other dads there too," she recalls fondly.

Now, almost 10 years later, she's given her 12-year-old cousin Lucía tickets to Aitana's concert in Madrid: "To celebrate her grades." They travel from Algeciras and are accompanied by Juan, Carmen's partner. "The truth is, I didn't consider myself an adult at any point during the concert," Carmen laughs. "Only when I had to hold her hand so she wouldn't get lost on the subway. But at the concert itself, I didn't notice the age difference; we were both singing . The experience hasn't changed much, to be honest: I enjoyed it just as much as I did 10 years ago with my father," she says.

Another of those families was 22-year-old Iñaki Reina , who came with his mother, Mónica , and his aunt from Pamplona . When asked why he chose to come with them, Iñaki avoids sentimentality, aided by a joke: "They're fun people, I have a good time, and since they pay for everything, well, hey... let's go for it."

Her mother, however, at 51, has lost all need to disguise her intentions. "When they're older, children don't want to do things with you anymore. So if they say, 'Are we going to see Aitana?' Well, we'll go see Aitana. Whoever it is." And she concludes: "I tell everyone the same thing: 'I'm here to enjoy my sister and my son. And if Aitana sings too, then it's great."

Vanessa also attended the concert with her partner and their two daughters, Ariadne and Adriana , ages 14 and 10. "It gives me goosebumps to see how much they enjoy it and how we've prepared it," she says with a smile, while the four of them all wear the same outfit customized for the occasion, which includes glasses with the words "Aitana," T-shirts, and friendship bracelets , among other items. "Just the preparation is super exciting," says her mother.

Vanessa alludes to this : pre-concert rituals are an important component of the family experience . María Juesas , 24, agrees with this view. She has been going to concerts with her father since she was about six, as he was also a drummer in a band: "Almost unconsciously, we often play or sing our own covers of the band we're going to see at home. With the guitar, the piano... Before the concert and also after."

And the bond that a shared concert creates goes beyond the duration of the live music, beyond the day of the event. It can last for months, if you want. Xabier Guede, 23, gave his mother tickets last Christmas to see Dua Lipa live together, one of the few artists they have in common.

In their case, the complications in getting tickets meant they couldn't sit together, but instead had seats in each other. "We were chatting on WhatsApp every time there was a short break, saying 'this was amazing, I loved it,' things like that," she recalls. And, again, the moments before and after: "Before entering, we were both nervous, and we talked about it over a drink. Then, when we left, we walked all the way to the subway, talking, discussing it. It was really cool, like a lot of connection," she concludes.

"She came from Galicia to Madrid that weekend, and we spent a lot of time together. We usually spend time with my dad and brother, too, and that time really brought us together; it gave us the opportunity to talk about a lot of things." Furthermore, intergenerational groups watching the same music live sometimes create comical situations, as in this case: "She was more reserved than I was, because I'd already been to a couple of other concerts. I didn't know whether to stand up, clap, or dance... And it's funny that she said something like: I don't know what she's saying because she's singing in English, but I still had a great time."

Córdoba points out that we're living in a crucial moment for these kinds of experiences for two main reasons. First, because the sheer diversity of music available and the amplification of platforms like Spotify means that parents are also more open to listening to everything and have more access to their children's favorite bands than parents of previous generations had.

Nowadays, families travel by car, and children can easily play music from their cell phones via Bluetooth. Previously, if your mother's Duncan Dhu album was the only one playing on repeat, that's what would be played. Today, moreover, children are taught more musical culture, both past and present, right from school, says Córdoba.

On the other hand, "music has become the main source of entertainment for everyone," he observes. There's a real craze for seeing live musical performances, and, in Córdoba's words, "everyone wants to be part of it and participate." "That's why, regardless of whether the group is more or less family-oriented, people want to be there. And if you have a family of four, you say, 'I'm not going to leave anyone at home.'" The ticketing company also says they've noticed that parents are no longer just providing support, but are getting involved in the concert itself.

Although, for parents, time with their children is usually more than enough. María Juesas remembers when her father taught her that attending concerts together was about much more than music . "I remember a Pearl Jam concert in London, because my father did me the favor of coming with me, he doesn't like it much. And the poor guy was most excited, if not the only thing, was seeing the Pixies as the opening act. And just as they were playing, I said to him: 'Dad, please, can you get me a Coke from the bar?' And when he left, they played their song, "Here Comes Your Man ," but he downplayed it. Things like that taught me everything."

These are memories that endure, those defining moments psychologists talk about, milestones that remain etched in our memory forever. "When my father is no longer here one day, what I'll remember are the concerts we went to together," says María. "And whenever I go to a concert alone or with someone else, even a reggaeton concert, which is what he hates the most, I remember him. Because he's the person I've been to the most concerts with and the one who instilled that tradition in me. He's the person I've experienced it with, and you never forget that," she says, referring to the connection she feels with him through live music.

And, if it's up to her, that tradition will continue forever: "Obviously I want to go to concerts in the future with everyone, with my children, my nieces and nephews... I want to take my cousin. They don't let me yet because she's too young, but when she grows up I'm going to teach her," she jokes. And the truth is, if you try it, you'll come back.

Bruno shares the same sentiment: "I don't have children, but if a niece or nephew comes along in the future, to the extent that I can influence them, let's say, to educate them musically, I will. And if one day they don't have anyone to accompany them to a concert, I would go with them, eyes closed. It would be very special," he fantasizes.

Live music has a gift for reaching straight into the heart. Sharing this with those you love most and who love you is like the universe winking at you. "I think you create a bonding memory with music," says Nacho Córdoba. "And that means they'll also pass it on to the next generations." María, for her part, sums it up even more emphatically.

Sometimes, even live music has the power to capture a moment that hasn't yet happened, or not entirely. Hours after telling us his story, Bruno contacted us again. "It was a secret," he says. But now it's possible to share: "At the concert, my sister was pregnant, so there really were four of us in the family." The legacy continues to grow.