Celebrate Music's Night to Shine with the Grammy's Red Carpet
- Shelby Parker
- Jan 5, 2019
- 4 min read
If you're a huge music fan like I am, I'm sure you've dreamed of attending the Grammy's award ceremony or red carpet. The Grammy red carpet is one of the most exclusive to get selected for (along with the Academy Awards), as they close the street off and set up a tent blocking any red carpet viewing.
Every year, I'd wonder how to get tickets or hope I'd win some random contest for bleacher seats on the carpet. Finally, in 2014, I won passes through Mastercard, so my mom and I were able to attend the red carpet portion.
As soon as I knew we were going, I went crazy trying to find the perfect outfit. I ended up channeling my inner Stevie Nicks, because she is not only one of my greatest musical inspirations, but also one of my top style icons.
There is a lot of waiting involved. We had to leave early that morning, since we live outside of LA to ensure that we had enough time to park and get in line. We were in line by 8:30 or 9 a.m., for a good couple hours, before being escorted across the street to the red carpet area.
Like I said, there is a lot of waiting involved, as the red carpet doesn't begin officially until 3 p.m., so we sat in the bleachers for the duration of that time. You are able to use the restrooms outside, but one of the staff members had to escort you out to the outhouses just outside of the tent.
Mastercard provided some swag bags with a commemorative thermos, water and a couple snacks, which came in handy throughout the day.
You were allowed to bring your phone, but technically pictures weren't allowed at the time. However, it might be different now as we've gone to a social media crazy world. But, once everyone came out, everyone around us was taking photos, so we snapped a few, too.
We saw so many musical greats and contemporary artists from today, including: Smokey Robinson, Keith Urban, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Pink, Blake Shelton and more. And, of course, there were presenters, like Anna Faris and host, LL Cool J.
It is fun to see all of the behind-the-scenes action that you don't get to see while the red carpet is rolling on E! and just how CRAZY PACKED it actually gets. It's empty when you first arrive, but by the end, it's almost wall-to-wall with publicists, reporters, photographers, artists and more, making sure that everything runs smoothly. I can also see how red carpets and events are not always as magical as they appear after going to a few. Still so fun, don't get me wrong.
Tips:
Eat before you go.
Make sure you eat before you arrive. You might be able to snack here and there, but it's a long day, as the red carpet doesn't end until 5 p.m. You won't be able to eat another full meal until after.
Leave everything in your car (except ID and phone).
I believe (at the time) they asked us to leave everything in our cars, meaning no purses or unnecessary items, besides a phone and ID. Clutches and wallets are advised instead of bags - leave the rest in your car. Just make sure it isn't visible from the street (obviously).
Dress comfortably.
While you want to look presentable and dressy for the red carpet, you are not the one walking the red carpet. Don't wear a full-length ball gown, but do dress nicely and have fun with it. It is the Grammy Awards after all. You will be sitting on bleachers (with no backs) for the most part, so you want something that gives you room to breathe.
Don't fangirl too much.
While you can cheer and get excited, it's not the kind of place to rush to get your favorite celebrity's autograph. Occasionally, artists will come over for the Make-A-Wish foundation participants, but for the most part, it's just a spectator area to observe and take photos of the guests arriving - not necessarily for selfies and such. Although, it has been a few years since I went, so it might have changed since then.
If you aren't selected for the Grammy red carpet, there's also the option of the Clive Davis Grammy Party held at the Beverly Hills Hotel the night before. While the party itself is invitation only, you can hang out in the foyer/lobby of the hotel where the red carpet is set up and watch everyone arrive.
My parents and I did this one year and it gave us a chance to see many artists walk in and I got my picture with a few, including: Scott Borchetta (the man who discovered Taylor Swift), Jordin Sparks and Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town. We saw Clive Davis, JC Chasez (*Nsync), Ellie Goulding, Kathy Griffin, Carly Rae Jepsen and quite a few others.
It was fun talking to other fans who were waiting - you always get to meet people from all over. Some who are on vacation and just happened to stumble upon the event and others who do this kind of thing all the time. You get to swap stories and learn a lot in the meantime.
Sitting on the red carpet was a fun experience, but isn't something I'd want to do again, unless someone invited me to go. I think if you want to check out the atmosphere of the Grammy's, the place to be is the Clive Davis party - it's more casual and you have a better chance of meeting someone.
That's all for now,
Shelby
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