After going to Harry Styles’s concert back in October 2021, I knew I had to go back and relive that same experience. Soon enough, I found myself sitting on the street and camping out for 28 hours for Styles’ residency show of his new album, “Harry’s House,” in Los Angeles, CA. at The Kia Forum.

As unenjoyable as that may sound, it was arguably worth it and was one of my favorite experiences. 

After having bought general admission standing tickets, otherwise known as “pit tickets,” back in May, I spent the following months counting down the days and researching how to execute my plan. I somehow convinced my parents to agree to this crazy idea.

During this adventure, I was accompanied by my older sister, a current freshman at the University of Southern California, who conveniently only lives 7.2 miles away from the Forum. 

After flying up Wednesday night for the concert on Friday, I spent time in my sister’s dorm experiencing “college.” At a ripe 5:00 a.m., we packed a backpack full of the necessary items for ultimate comfort and made the most out of this experience.

Following our arrival at the Forum at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, we experienced the craziness of the whole camping experience, with tents lined up against the sidewalk and some people even spending over four nights waiting for the show. After setting up our tent the boredom and wave of tiredness from the early wake-up hit.

After I slept for a few hours, the sun began to rise, and so did the temperature, making the inside of the tent go from extremely cold to hot.

To try and pass the time, we made friends with the other campers and spoke about the absurdity of the process. As time passed, all the groups began to do their own thing, and it became much quieter. However, there were no worries as I had packed a book to keep me occupied. 

When the sun began to set, I got more excited and anxious as I realized I had less than 12 hours before the Forum staff formed the official line at 9 a.m. and I would receive the all-clear to go home. I would return later that day at 4 p.m., lining up in the order based on my assigned number and then would be granted entrance to the arena. At 8:30 a.m., people began exiting their tents and lined up in the parking lot in order of the tents. As soon as it was 9 a.m., the staff began giving out official wristbands. 

Finally, we were able to leave the venue and go back to my sister’s dorm. We immediately got ready for the concert and made posters. 

The time finally came: going to the concert, which I had been anticipating for the past six months. After arriving back at The Forum at 3:30 p.m, it was time for photos. After taking photos, we began to line up by wristband number.

After waiting in three lines for two-and-a-half hours and getting the official pit wristband — which was purple and had the lyrics “Living in a Daydream,” from Styles’ album “Harry’s House” track nine, “Daydreaming.” 

Multiple stage maps were released prior to the show, showing exactly where he sang each song, so I knew where to stand. As I felt adrenaline through my body, I began speed walking to one of the most in-demand corners of the stage where he sings “Little Freak.” I was also successful in getting to the barricade of the stage making me first row, enhancing the experience and making it more memorable.

As Styles gleefully ran around the stage and was only a couple of feet away from me, singing multiple of his hit songs and even noticing my sister’s sign and making a face, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity became one of the best things I have ever done.

When leaving the arena, I felt as happy as could be, knowing I would never forget or stop talking about this magical opportunity. While I do not know if I would ever camp that long again, it was truly the best night.