13 tips for meeting your favorite celebrities - All Punked Up (2024)

No matter who you’re a fan of, you’ve probably wanted to meet them at some point. We hear you, so we put together a little cheat sheet on how to meet those people and make all your dreams come true. Take it from a professional fangirl, these are your words to live by.

13. Always be sure that the celebrity you’re trying to meet is comfortable with meeting fans in public and unprompted!

Some celebs thrive from fan interaction and take every chance they get to snap a selfie. However, some are more private and find the attention overwhelming for many reasons. Whether the reason be anxiety, stress, or just preferring a more private lifestyle, it is important to respect that. Do a little research ahead of time to find out how your idol reacts during fan encounters.

12. Be respectful.

Even if a celeb is open to fan interactions, be mindful of the fact that they are humans, too. They live busy lives with busy schedules and may not always have time or energy to stop. This doesn’t mean they aren’t happy to see you, it just mean that this isn’t the time. If they seem to be rushing away or seem overwhelmed, take a step back. You don’t own them and they don’t owe you anything. Being respectful oftentimes will get you more than mobbing a celeb, anyway. In a mob, no one wins and no one gets a chance to talk. Show respect and distance gives them the chance to talk to everyone calmly and lets you make the most of your time.

11. Research radio and TV station schedules.

One of the easiest ways to meet a celebrity is catching them after an interview. Typically, there won’t be too many fans around and they will be pretty open to chatting or taking a picture. Be sure to check the station’s rules about waiting outside and comply with all requests from security. As long as you’re not in the way and are respectful, most companies are okay with you standing outside.

10. Check Instagram tagged photos.

If you know your idol is in town, others will probably be meeting them as well. By scrolling through their tagged pictures on Instagram, you can see where and when they were last spotted. If you’re lucky, the poster will tag a location or tell you where you can find them via DM.

9. Check their social media frequently.

Celebrities love updating their Instagram and Snapchat stories with all the cool things their doing and places they’re visiting. If you check often enough, you’ll be able to track where they are and stage your perfect “casual” run in situation at your local Starbucks.

8. Follow their team.

If possible, follow their security, publicist, stylist, and more on every social media platform. Either they’ll post an update on where your idol is or they’ll unknowingly drop hints. Whatever the case, be sure to be respectful of their team just as you would anyone else.

7. Stage door, stage door, stage door!

The most fun part of celebrity hunting is the classic stage door. Celebrities have to leave at some point, right? At theaters and venues, you can usually hang out by the stage door and get a pretty good chance at peeping your fav. You don’t always get to chat with them or take pictures, but waving hi is better than nothing, right?

6. Befriend security!

Work as a team with them. They probably don’t know much about the celebrity you’re waiting to see, but they do know its their job to keep them safe. Crack a few jokes with them and be kind. Sometimes, they’ll spill a little information or they’ll be more likely to let you know where you might find them if you’re able to prove you’re not a crazy fan, but instead someone who can hold it together.

5. Don’t meet people just for the clout.

This should be obvious, but let real fans have a chance. If you’re meeting a celebrity that you’re not a fan of, don’t cut in front of mega fans. It’s basic common courtesy. There’s nothing wrong with meeting someone that you may not be the biggest fan of, but there is something wrong about just meeting them to add them to your list and brag about. If a little girl is trying to meet Ariana Grande and you’ve never heard one of her songs, be sure the girl gets a chance to talk to her idol before you butt in waving a camera in her face.

4. Make connections.

Fans often travel in gangs. You’ll probably start to notice that the same few people are showing up everywhere. Get to know them by exchanging numbers or social media. You can help each other meet your idols and you can make some new friends.

3. Do not follow a celebrity around all day.

If you meet them once that day, let them be unless you’re seeing them at events. However, once you find them, don’t follow them to the restaurant they’re going to for dinner. That’s major stalking and even real celeb hunters have limits.

2. Do not leak private information.

You may, in your adventures, come across private information about celebrities. If you’re truly a fan, some of this information you need to learn to keep to yourself so you don’t ruin their reputation.

1. Use discretion with hotels.

This has always been a major debate in the fandom world– to go to a hotel or not? For starters, go back to number 1. If you know they are uncomfortable with it, then don’t do it. However, some celebrities don’t mind. One Direction, for example, has called their fans the