Harry Styles tour to review staging after fan complaints

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Georgia Levy-CollinsBBC Newsbeat

Anthony Pham/Getty Images Harry Styles is wearing navy trousers with a belt and a light blue shirt with a white collar and flower patterned tie.He has a red bomber jacket over the top. He is jumping on the stage, you can see fans watching from the crowd behind him.Anthony Pham/Getty Images

Fans have complained about having their view blocked by the walkway

Harry Styles' world tour is set to review its staging following complaints from fans over obstructed views.

After the Together, Together tour kicked off in Amsterdam for a run of 10 shows, some concertgoers have said they weren't able to see the Aperture singer for much of the evening.

The tour's official representative has told BBC Newsbeat the floor concept was designed to "give fans freedom" but that all areas with restricted eyelines "are being reviewed".

The 32-year-old has already faced some criticism over show locations and ticket prices.

The "pit" layout of the concert allows fans who buy special packages to stand in one of four sections within the stage - and Styles then performs around them.

Complaints from fans include having their views obscured by the 10ft tall (3m) walkways circling the stadium's floor.

Images online showed that some of those at the back of the floor were at a disadvantage.

Nadia Wesseling A screengrab of Harry Styles performing on stage, with a high staging partially blocking the view of the star who is wearing blue.Nadia Wesseling

Some fans said they were only able to catch a small glimpse of Harry Styles

Styles' team say the idea was "to give fans the ability to experience the show from different positions rather than being confined to one fixed viewing angle".

"That open, free-flowing floor experience has always been an essential part of Harry's live shows."

They added restricted areas were being "adjusted where possible in compliance with all safety restrictions".

The former One Direction star's tour has 67 dates - but lands in only seven cities - including 12 nights in London, 10 in Amsterdam and 30 in New York City.

Its limited locations are coming at a cost to some fans who along with paying for tickets, have said they'll have to fork out for hotels and transport as well.

BBC Newsbeat understands that changes to the staging will be made in time for the London shows in June and July.

Nadia Wesseling Two girls close up to the camera, on the left she has wavy long brown hair and brown eyes. She is sticking her tongue out. On the right she has blond hair and disco ball earrings, she is smiling. Behind them are red stadium seats. Nadia Wesseling

Nadia Wesseling (right) went to the show with her friend Linsi (left)

Fan Nadia Wesseling paid €350 (£300) for her ticket which included early entry "to be at the front".

The 19-year-old says she was stood at the barrier to the stage.

"It turned out that pretty much every spot in the first few rows had an obstructed view," she tells Newsbeat.

"I even heard that people further back were also dealing with an obstructed view.

"If Harry's team is working on it, that's great," she says, adding "the stage design was done really badly".

"I just think it's ridiculous how they thought people were going to be satisfied after paying that much money to then only see him walk past like five times."

But Nadia says even though the view was restricted for most of the show from her point of view, she still had the best time.

Daniel O'Conner also went to shows in Amsterdam and shares a similar experience.

He's an "avid" concertgoer but has "never experienced this issue before".

"Harry's stage design includes bridges to allow access in and out of the pods within the stage."

He tells Newsbeat it was fans with cheaper tickets and seating further back who seemed to have the better view.

Daniel is pleased there will be changes but adds it's "a shame those who attended the first few shows have effectively had to be guinea pigs".

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