.png)
Maroon 5 at Madison Square Garden
- Agne
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
On one of those long autumn evenings, when I was thinking that my 2025 concert season was almost over, I started wondering how to close it with a bang. I’d been missing New York for a while and kept thinking how much I’d love to go back, so an idea came to me - why not combine two of my hobbies: New York and concerts? A little research later, after convincing my mom to join me (again, for the third time haha), I booked a trip… and tickets to see Maroon 5 at Madison Square Garden on November 20th. They were playing two nights in NYC as part of their LOVE IS LIKE Tour.
It wasn’t my first concert in NYC - two years ago I saw Madonna at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center - but it was my first time at Madison Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena” (as they call themselves). So keep reading to find out how everything went, because not every day you go to a concert in New York!
Disclaimer: If you expect an unbiased concert review… don’t. I grew up with Maroon 5, had a teenage crush on Adam (maybe I still do, who knows), so yes - I am very biased haha.
Tickets for Maroon 5’s LOVE IS LIKE Tour 2025 in New York
Maroon 5 announced two nights at MSG - the first night was almost sold out (and much more expensive), but the second night on November 20th still had a lot of ticket options. I chose lower-bowl seats for $166 each.
For context: the whole floor was seated (which seems common in the U.S., and definitely one of the differences between U.S. and Europe). Floor seats were around $244, which felt pretty high from my perspective. Otherwise, I would’ve loved to be in the first rows (like I was in Berlin 2023 - and plan to be again in London 2025 hehe).
We ended up in Section 104, Row 20, Seats 3-4, and overall we had a great view of the stage and screens.
The Venue - Maroon 5 at the Iconic Madison Square Garden
As I said, this venue proudly calls itself The World’s Most Famous Arena, and honestly - I was here for it. As a professional concert enthusiast, I was excited to finally see it with my own eyes.
The arena is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth Avenue, and it took us maybe five minutes to walk from our hotel. Admission was pretty standard (security was more attentive, though), and it was easy to find our sector and seats. There’s a lot of staff helping you navigate - definitely not their first rodeo haha.
The current arena opened in 1968, and once you're inside you can tell the design is older compared to modern venues. But it fits around 22k fans for concerts, so it’s massive. Seats were comfortable, the sound was good, and overall it passed my inspection ahah.
I’ll write a separate post with more detailed venue tips - The World’s Most Famous Arena deserves its own review for sure.
Preshow Vibes
This was our second day in New York (we arrived on Wednesday). We spent the first half of the day walking around the city, then went to a taping of The Kelly Clarkson Show (another post coming soon about how I got the tickets and how it went).
Even though the day was busy, we still had time to rest, grab a New York pizza slice, get ready, and head to the venue around 7:20 PM.
At 7:30 PM, Claire Rosinkranz opened the show, but we still had time to grab merch (a must when you’re on another continent), take a ton of pictures, and get ready for the main event of the trip.
Concert Timeline
7:30 PM – Claire Rosinkranz (opening act)
8:30 PM – Maroon 5
10:20 PM – End
Maroon 5 - LOVE IS LIKE Tour: New York Night 2
First, I want to give Maroon 5 huge credit for starting on time. When you’re jet-lagged, late shows hit hard. (Looking at you, Madonna, who started at 10:20 PM two years ago - I was almost asleep in my seat waiting haha.)
Since I saw Maroon 5 in Berlin two years ago, I can really compare the two shows - and this one in New York completely smashed it. I loved the Berlin concert, but this was on another level. And let me tell you why.
Adam’s Energy & Stage Presence
First of all, Adam was way more energetic and charismatic here. He genuinely looked like he enjoyed being on stage - while in Berlin the vibe felt more like “let’s get the job done.”
He made a few speeches about how much he loves the city and even said:“It’s a pleasure to be at the best f*cking building in America.”
The connection with the fans - which was really missing in Berlin - was so much better here. I guess home walls help in this case hahah.
He also told a story about how the band played every size venue in New York throughout their career, basically starting from the bottom, and reflected on their 20+ years as a band.
All Bangers, No Skips
You can really see their long career in the setlist too - it was all bangers, and I’m not even exaggerating. You can check it yourself here.
One thing that did surprise me was how few new songs they performed. For a tour promoting the new album, they only included two new tracks: “Cigarettes” and “California.”(I honestly think “All Night” would sound amazing live.) Adam himself joked that they’d only play a few unknown songs and then get back to the hits. The new album didn’t get huge numbers, and I guess the band knows exactly what their audience wants - all hits, all night.
Talking about the setlist, I really appreciated hearing older songs that didn’t make it the last time, like “Misery,” “Lucky Strike,” “Won’t Go Home Without You,” and my all-time favorite “Harder to Breathe.”And of course, they included all the smash hits - “This Love,” “Sugar,” “Moves Like Jagger” - I could keep naming them.
In total, they played 23 songs across almost two hours.
The Show & Stage Setup
The whole show relied heavily on Adam being the charismatic, sexy a** mother**** that he is - and he absolutely delivered. I feel like this time he gave all the charm you’d expect from him. He also played the guitar a lot, reminding everyone he’s not just a pretty face hahaha.
There were no crazy effects or fireworks. The stage setup was simple: big screens on the main stage and a long runway. Honestly, it’s my favorite type of stage - simplicity is key.
The band was amazing too. They even performed “Heavy,” a song by PJ Morton, Maroon 5’s keyboardist. So even if Adam is the main star, the whole band was doing an incredible job.
Special Guest Moment
One cool surprise for New York was when Travie McCoy from Gym Class Heroes came on stage for “Stereo Hearts,” the song he recorded with Adam. At that point, the audience went wild - singing along, screaming, and just living in that moment. One of those memories you keep for life.
The Tank Top Moment
Another very important update: during the last song, Adam actually took off his tank top and threw it into the audience - something that was missing in Berlin and something we really wanted to see hahaha. What a time to be alive.
I’m really hoping for the same moment in London (Adam, you hear me?)
The NY audience vibes
When it comes to the audience, I was genuinely curious about what to expect. Normally, a famous venue in a famous city should come with high expectations, but after the Lady Gaga audience fiasco in London, I’ve become a bit more cautious with mine.
The first thing that surprised me was how young the crowd looked. To me, they seemed like teenagers - maybe early twenties at most. I was expecting more 30+ fangirls (like myself, hahah), similar to what I experienced in Berlin. But at least in our section, the crowd definitely was younger. And with that came a lot of recording. I’m talking selfies, group photos, videos from five different angles… It honestly felt like I was standing in a concert influencer corner (also slightly calling myself out here, haha).
But the important thing is: the crowd absolutely passed the vibe check! From the very first notes, everyone stood up and the noise levels were insane - in the best way. Seeing a band perform in their home country adds a totally different energy. People sang along to everything, and it really amplified the overall atmosphere.
Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was that people didn’t leave early. In bigger cities (again, London could be an example - sorry my dear), I often see huge groups heading out before the encore to beat the traffic, which I personally will never understand. But here, from what I saw, everyone stayed until the very end, and it made the whole experience feel even more complete.
Final Thoughts on Maroon 5 at Madison Square Garden
I absolutely loved this whole experience. Of course, I wish I could’ve been closer (this is definitely a floor-standing-type concert), but I already have tickets for BST Hyde Park, where Maroon 5 will headline - so at least the post-concert depression is under control.
I also secretly hope for more European dates… because this is a band I could see countless times. Sue me, hahah.
And with this, my 2025 concert season comes to an end. What a way to finish such an amazing concert year!
(Disclaimer: I still have some Lithuanian shows coming up, but the main lineup is officially wrapped for this year.)
For the full story, videos, and more concert adventures:
Instagram – @concerts_enthusiast
TikTok – @concerts.enthusiast
