Need advice regarding concert on day of arrival in London

"First, am I insane for trying to attend something the night I arrive?"

For myself yes, insanity would reign. I can barely make it to dinner even with doing the TimeShifter app. I had to cancel a dinner with friends on my first day on my last trip because I just didn't think I could easily navigate the Paris Metro (with which I am very familiar) to get to them.

"Second, how would you plan your day so that you'd be able to stay awake for and during the concert?"

You do have the advantage of flying from the East Coast instead of my flights from the Inland NW to an international hub (Seattle or SLC) and then over. I think this is a location where you've stayed before, right? How soon will you be able to get into your room?

Is there a chance you could change your ticket to arrive the day before?

I'd book your room for the night before your arrival and advise them you will be checking in early morning. This way you can drop bags, get some outdoor time to help with the jet lag and have time for a short nap and freshen up before the concert.

If you’re that passionate about the duo, then go for it! You may have a great time, and if not, you’re allowed to leave at interval if you can’t keep awake.

But, as a Londoner, my first thought was about getting back to your hotel after the concert - ie, where in Islington, where in Lambeth? Are there tube stations nearby, or bus routes? I’d be tempted to change my hotel to one in Kings Cross so as to have an easy journey home after the concert (bus from Islington down to Kings Cross area).

Can you check in early so that you can have a longish nap and wake up before the concert?

At times I've taken a nap for 2-3 hours in the afternoon, then gone
out etc.

Sounds like a plan that has worked before.

Could you change your flight to leave one day earlier?

I don't know if I can change my ticket. I can check into that, though.

The address of the venue is 19b Compton Terrace. I'm staying across from the Imperial War Museum.

As far as I know, there is no check-in time for my B&B. I've always just told them what time my flight gets in. I can certainly ask if the day before is a possibility.

I just learned that the venue doesn't have assigned seats, which means I'd have to stand outside and queue to get in. Not crazy about that idea...

Based on my personal experience flying from the West Coast, where I often arrive that hour, I wouldn't make any plans for an arrival day that I wasn't willing to sacrifice in the name of sleep. So other than trying to arrive a day earlier, I guess my advice would be: are you willing eat the ticket cost knowing there is a chance you might not go or doze through part of the show? If the answer is yes, then go for it.

SandraL, you've probably already checked, but is it possible that your favorite folk duo is performing somewhere else in England while you're in London? Maybe you can plan a fun road trip to see them when you'll be more awake.

Unfortunately, I can't change my plane ticket to the day before. And there aren't any other shows I can attend.

Maybe I should just wait until they tour the U.S. again.

Oh well...

I fly business class from the WEST Coast to LHR. My tactic for dealing with jet lag is to get early check in possible (often at an extra cost but so worth it!), unpack and shower, go for a walk and lunch, then take a maximum 2-hour nap at 4:00pm. Then I can make it to 10:00pm before I crash. Budget for taxis so you aren’t dealing with public trans and possible errors. You don’t need that. Also, avoid alcohol this day. Helps me get sort of adjusted for the next day, when I usually need a 1 hour nap before dinner. Then I am fully functional on European time.

Thank you, Laurel. That schedule sounds very doable. I'm on the East Coast myself.
Tickets are not on sale yet so I have a few days to think it over.

Thanks, folks!

Definitely definitely go for it. Union Chapel is a fantastic venue. It's true they don't have assigned seats- it's church pews (it is indeed a former (?) church). If you go and are a bit tired and want to leave early it's not a big deal. Whenever I travel home from the US east coast I'm normally ok for most of the day, I have a nap in the afternoon, and then actually I'm quite awake in the evening as I'm still on EST. Everyone's different but that's my experience.

It's pretty easy to get from Union Chapel down to where IWM is- you just get the Victoria line from Highbury and Islington to Oxford Circus, change to Bakerloo line, and take that to Lambeth North. It should only take a little over half an hour.

Tickets to Union Chapel shows tend to not be very expensive so I would say just go for it and if on the day you really don't feel up to it, you won't have lost out much. But shows there do sell out so I wouldn't leave it too late.

At times I've taken a nap for 2-3 hours in the afternoon, then gone
out etc.

Sounds like a plan that has worked before.

I agree. I used to never take a nap when I got there because I was afraid it would throw me off and mess up my schedule, but the last two times I've gone to Europe, I've taken just a brief nap in the afternoon (usually about an hour or so), and it has done wonders for me. On my most recent trip to Romania, I napped upon arrival, then met up with CWSocial and TexasTravelMom for an evening at a very interesting restaurant with folk dancing performances, and I remained amazingly alert for the entire evening (I think—their opinions may differ, lol)!

I did the same thing when I arrived in London earlier that year with my two grandkids. The three of us took a brief nap in the afternoon. We were able to get to Evensong later and have a nice dinner and stay up later than I ever thought possible.

It's definitely worth a try if you really want to see this group.

Thanks again! Tickets go on sale Mon. My fingers are crossed!

On one trip to London, my husband, my daughter and her fiance, and I landed just after 5 pm, made it to the Waterloo PI to check in, and then on to The 7:45 pm ABBA Voyage show. We flew from Seattle.

A couple years ago we went to see a play on arrival day and found ourselves nodding off throughout most of it. We were like those bobble head dolls.

I've done several weekend trips to London from North America and on a very short trip, I can't waste the first day. You can definitely do this with some advance planning.

You're in PA so there's a five hour time difference.

• Beginning about 6 nights before your trip, go to bed one hour earlier and get up one hour earlier. So if you normally go to sleep at 10 PM and are up at 6 AM, lights out at 9 PM and up at 5 AM.
• The next day, pull everything back another hour - bed at 8, up at 4. Continue this each night until you're going to sleep and getting up on London time
• Once the flight takes off, switch your watch to London time and go to sleep at the new/London time. No welcome cocktail, no food. Pull out the bed and go to sleep. I usually take half a sleeping pill but that's not essential.

Then up in the morning and simply keep moving throughout the day. Stay hydrated and resist the urge to have a nap! I usually get a second wind at about 7 in the evening and that gets me through. I now use this routine before every overseas flight and it makes an enormous difference. No more wasted first day.

HTH.

I say you should go for it!

You will have a bit of extra adrenaline in being able to do something that's special to you.

Some other suggestions. If you are tired upon your 6:40 am arrival, you could take a cat nap while you're still within the secured part of the airport. I do this whenever I fly a redeye flight from the western U.S. to the east coast, though as I write this, I realize I've always had my bag with me, not checked. On my Europe trips, I try to stay outside and in the fresh air on my arrival days in Europe. I've possibly taken a short afternoon nap, and if you've done that before and it's worked for you, then do that again.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

I'm arriving at LHR at 6:40 a.m., and will have arrivals lounge access, where I can get some breakfast (and a shower!). My B&B check-in time is 9:30. After that I need to pick up a couple of things at the supermarket and hit the ATM. If I can get a two-hour nap, then get something to eat before heading to the venue at least an hour before showtime, I should be able to do it.

I was in Edinburgh during Festival season and got tickets to two performances on the day I arrived. I landed in the morning, wandered through a museum and tried to eat something before the first show. I definitely had a couple of loopy knodding-off moments during it! The venue was very close to my hotel and I was able to lay down for a bit afterwards. I might have dozed off before going to a dinner reservation and walking to the evening concert.
In retrospect it was too much for one day, especially since they were concerts I picked at random off the schedule, but I think if this is a musical act you really enjoy you should go for it. You will get some extra energy from seeing performers you like. As others have said, if you’re too tired you can always leave early, but at least you will get to brag you saw a favorite artist perform in London!