Sunday, Oct. 10 was the day Harry Styles fans in Tampa have been waiting for since Aug. 3, 2020. In August, over 1 year ago, Styles was supposed to come to Tampa, but COVID made him postpone the tour to this year. Styles performed in Amalie Arena for his Love on Tour in front of thousands of screaming fans. Even though the wait was long, once he took the stage it was all worth it! 

The day before the concert, Styles had a pop-up merch spot at Amelie Area where fans could buy their posters, T-shirts, hats, water bottles, hoodies, crew necks, and even his album on vinyl. People started lining up for the merch at 7 a.m. when it opened at noon and closed at 7 p.m. This is a sign of how loyal Styles’ fans are to him and how excited everyone was for the concert.  

While attending the show, fans in the arena were asked to always keep their mask on, unless eating or drinking. This is a big change from normal concerts, but wearing a mask is still better than not seeing Styles perform at all.  

Jenny Lewis was picked by Styles to perform the opening act for every show on the tour. At 8:00 Jenny came out and produced an amazing show and gave the fans what they wanted. While in the arena, you could feel the energy growing more and more as it got closer to 9:00.  

As soon as the lights turned off, the Love on Tour introduction came on the jumbotron, and Styles rose from beneath the stage as the crowd went crazy. The first song he sang was “Golden,” and throughout this song, he made his way around the stage and down the catwalks waving to the fans who came to see him. Since the stage was in the middle of the pit and fans were on all sides, Styles was running around a lot to make sure everyone could see him. 

One of the best things about going to a Harry Styles concert is how he interacts with the fans. For example, Styles made the crowd sing happy birthday to a girl in the front row, sang an improvised song about fans who came to the concert dressed up in banana costumes, and during the song “Sunflower Vol.6” threw real sunflowers to people in the pit. Even though he cannot touch the fans, Styles still manages to find ways to connect with them. 

Styles put on an amazing performance between dancing, singing, and pointing out posters that were being held up. Even though this is only his second tour since he went solo from One Direction, nobody could ever tell. Styles acts like he was born to be on stage in front of thousands of fans that would do anything for him. 

Styles sang a great variety of songs from his first album, Harry Styles, his second album, Fine Line, and even “What Makes You Beautiful,” a song written and performed in 2011 by One Direction. Right when the melody came over the speakers, fans knew they were about to be taken back in time to when his career was just getting started, when it would not have even crossed someone’s mind that a boy from a small town in the U.K would be selling out arenas across the globe.

Senior Ashlyn Johnson said, “I went to all the Harry shows in Florida, and when he sang “To Be So Lonely” in Fort Lauderdale I literally lost my mind. And then he did it again in Tampa and I think I broke a vocal cord.” 

The Tampa show was extra special because it was the last concert on tour in Florida. Plus, Styles is currently halfway done with the tour, and hopefully, after he finishes, he will release his third album. Attending Harry Styles’ Love on Tour was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that will never be forgotten.