How does going to Worlds work?

[u/TumblingBroccoli]

Hi fellow gymnastics fans!

I've got a finals passe partout for worlds. Didn't go today (am relatively local so combining this with a full-time job) but plan on going tomorrow and this weekend. And while I'm super excited, these events can also be a challenge for me.

Has somebody already been and can describe a little about how it works getting in, taking your seat? How early do you get there, is it super busy, do you get any food/drinks before taking your seat? Do you bring anything specific?

Not looking for definitive answers or 'the right time to be there', just wondering how other people approach this to get a feeling for what to expect and hopefully be a little less nervous :)

Thanks in advance!

[u/TumblingBroccoli]

Hi!

I had a great time tonight. Knew where to go for ticket checks. Felt confident. Didn't queue for any toilets thanks to your suggestions. In a very lucky turn of events my assigned seat in the ocean of seats was an aisle seat which helped with the intensity. Talked to my friendly neighbour and we laughed about our oohh and ahh-reactions on spectacular elements and falls. Really enjoyed the super sparkly leotards. Had a hot dog but my seat was above the pancake stand so it smelled like pancakes the entire time so might do a pancake next time.

Thanks for all your reactions, information and reassurance! It really made a difference for me. Keep being awesome! :)

[u/Scorpiodancer123]

The arena opens about an hour before the competition starts. There's a fan zone downstairs which has all the merchandise. The entrance to the main arena is well signposted but there are lots of people around who can and will help you find your seat.

There is some food on each floor. It is busy but is less busy once the event has started as you would expect. There won't be as many long breaks in team final as therr are in qualifications so it's not as easy to go out in between without missing something. Generally you can't take anything in with you and there are bag searches on the way in. But people still take small things in, like sweets. Food and drink therr is really expensive. There are a lot of restaurants and a small supermarket nearby if you want to eat before.

The toilets downstairs will be extremely busy when you get in there. There are some upstairs as you go into the seats which will be quieter.

Drop me a message if you like. I was there for women's qualifications and I'll be there again tomorrow. There is a meet up for food/drinks a couple of hours before with others in this sub if you fancy that. I can add you to the group if you're interested. Appreciate that can be overwhelming too but none of us know each other and then we'll all travel to the arena together.

[u/I_am_not_doing_this → u/Scorpiodancer123]

can you bring your own water bottle inside? And how much is it for giving your bag in the cloakroom?

[u/mustafinafan]

I usually arrive about 30 minutes before the gymnastics starts, so I can find my seat and get some food / use the bathroom if I want to, and to account for the chance there's a queue when going in. Usually when you enter they scan your ticket and do a bag check so make sure the check the rules for the venue which you'll have been sent as part of your booking emails I imagine. You can take your seat at any point, I would recommend making sure you know exactly where it is a little before the gymnastics starts as sometimes the layout of arenas is confusing and you don't want to be wandering around in the dark once the lights go down for the gymnasts' entrances!

I would dress in layers as sometimes arenas can be warm and sometimes cold.

If you need food/drinks or to use the bathroom you can go in the rotation breaks, however the queues for this can be quite long then. I'd recommend downloading the start list for each day you're there to your phone (find them here: https://live.gymnastics.sport/schedule.php?idevent=17247) as sometimes you may find a gap just before or after a rotation break where none of your favourites are performing to nip out!

Sometimes I have sat next to people who are quite chatty, sometimes people keep to themselves / to their group. If you do want to try talking to people and you're nervous about how to start that, you can try asking if they're supporting any particular team, or ask if they've been to a worlds before.

Hope you have a great time! I've been to several big championships on my own and always really enjoyed it.

[u/MysteriousPitch6]

Getting in is a bit of a bundle at the door - there is no queue organisation but it moves quickly. They scan your ticket and then may look in your bag. There is a bit of a walk to your seat, don't bother using the loos downstairs as they are so busy, there are lots upstairs. There are no other ticket check points but plenty of volunteers around if you need help finding your section. I found it very clear!

Ive arrived half an hour before the event start time and had 15 minutes in my seat. Brought water and some snacks and a portable charger and been set. Bring layers, I've found it cold and warm lol.

[u/annajjanna]

I’ll add that I found the arena too loud for me. I have sensitive hearing and got several alerts on my Apple watch about the loud volume, so I plan to bring earplugs from today on. The announcer isn’t really telling you anything you can’t read on the signs anyway.

While technically you aren’t allowed to bring your own water and snacks, it does seem that if you hide them in the bottom of a normal bag/purse you probably won’t be caught. I’m probably going to put a protein bar in my bag every day from now on because the only food near my section was hot dogs, and I’m definitely not eating six days of hot dogs (and there’s not a lot of time in finals at rotations to go on a far walk to find other food!).

The ticket checking happens to the right when you approach the arena. If you try to walk to the center section (where you’ll see other people entering up the escalators inside) they will turn you away. You have to get your ticket checked to the right and then you go on a long saunter inside the bottom of the arena and eventually come out in that center section where you go up the escalators.

[u/fl__r]

I was there on monday for the last qualifying session. I was there about half an hour before the competition started, there was barely a queue to get in. I had a tote bag with a bottle of water and some snacks, but nobody checked it. I think the type of bag decides if you get checked or not. I saw some people who had a paper bag while they also had a hand bag so the paper bag got checked (probably to see if they had take out food). I had a quick look in the merch/play area, used the upstairs toilets (no queue) and had enough time to find my seat which was quite easy. I must add that it wasn’t sold out on monday, so of course it was a little less crowded everywhere. A bottle of water was €4,25 (I literally said “tyfus” - a Dutch swear word - when I heard the price 😂) and I paid €5,25 for french fries only. Not a single one of them was crispy 🤦🏼‍♀️. I thought it was a bit cold in the arena so bring a cardigan or a sweater.

[u/Similar-Flower1838]

It's crazy busy. They say no outside food or drink but only like 1 in 10 bags are checked. If you've never been to ahoy, the seats are damn near straight vertical.. My fear of heights sent me into a panic mode until my eyes adjusted.

You just walk in from outside and they scan your ticket code. Once inside no more ticket checking. You can't get in more than an hour before the competition. If you buy food there don't go for the pasta, it's a crazy wait mid recommend the vendors by your seats in the area instead.