Phoebe Bridgers hosts a concert in Madison Square Garden. Tickets cost as little as $1 (€0.87) and there isn’t a phone in sight. The year is 2026.
Last week, the singer-songwriter stunned fans with a pop-up show at the iconic New York arena, followed by news of a lottery offering tickets for less than a pack of chewing gum, the proceeds of which went to support people in immigration detention centres.
The low ticket prices weren’t the only surprise. Smartphones were banned.
Attendees had their devices locked away in Yondr pouches – specialised, soft-sided locking cases that have become popular in schools – before entering the venue, leaving a crowd of 20,000 to experience the performance without filming, streaming or posting.
Bridgers reportedly performed eight new tracks while seated on a sofa to a rapt, if captive, audience.
