Pop darling Sabrina Carpenter is rethinking the modern concert experience — and it might involve leaving your phone at the door. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Carpenter revealed she’s seriously considering implementing a no-phones policy at her future shows, inspired by a magical moment she had at a Silk Sonic concert in Las Vegas.
At that gig, audience members were required to lock their phones in special pouches before entering the venue — and the impact on the atmosphere was unforgettable. “Honestly, I’ve never had that much fun at a live show,” Carpenter said. “It felt like I time-traveled to the ’70s — even though I never lived through them. Everyone was singing, dancing, looking at each other, laughing… it was magical.”
For an artist who grew up in the era of stories, selfies, and streaming every moment, the idea of a phone-free concert felt foreign at first. But as she matures as a performer, Carpenter says she’s beginning to understand the beauty of an experience shared fully, in real time, without screens. “I can’t blame people for wanting memories,” she said. “But when I think about how many years I want to keep touring… maybe I’ll say, ‘phones off!’ one day.”
She wouldn’t be the first. Artists like Jack White, Bob Dylan, and Ghost have already embraced phone-free shows, working with companies like Yondr to create distraction-free environments. Others, like Blur frontman Damon Albarn, argue that a truly great live show should be so captivating, phones become irrelevant.
For now, Carpenter says her upcoming tour — including her two biggest headline performances to date at London’s Hyde Park this summer — won’t enforce a phone ban. But the door remains open for future experiments, especially as she gears up to release her highly anticipated new album Man’s Best Friend at the end of August.
