File Photo by Julie Jacobson / The Associated Press / Garth Brooks sings "Ain't Going Down" to open a 2016 show at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Announcement: The final stop for 2019 of The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour is #GarthIn_____________ -Team Garth pic.twitter.com/fbQVEJR7C8
— Garth Brooks (@garthbrooks) September 4, 2019
Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 13, for a Garth Brooks concert in Knoxville's Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16.
The show, part of Brooks' record-setting Stadium Tour, will take place at 7 p.m. rain or shine in the University of Tennessee's historic football venue, which has a capacity of 102,455. It will be the first concert at Neyland Stadium in 16 years and just the third in the venue's nearly 100-year history.
"Hosting Garth Brooks as the University of Tennessee celebrates its 225th anniversary is extra special," said Chancellor Donde Plowman. "This is a tremendous event, not just for UT, but for Knoxville and the surrounding communities as well. We are excited to work with our community partners to host one of the best-selling musical artists of all time at the best stadium in the country."
Previous stops on the tour have set attendance records at stadiums in the U.S. and Canada. The largest sold out 140,000 seats at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The singer, known for such hits as "The Thunder Rolls," "Shameless" and "Friends in Low Places," has alluded to stops at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and Nissan Stadium in Nashville, according to industry website TheBoot.com, but those plans have not been announced.
Staging for the concert is not expected to affect the football season. Setup will begin early the week of Nov. 11, and a stage will be constructed on a covering over the turf at Shields-Watkins Field.
The Volunteers have an open date the day of the concert and play a road game on Nov. 23 before returning to Neyland Stadium to host Vanderbilt for the regular-season finale on Nov. 30.
The university has made plans to restore and resod the field beginning on Monday, Nov. 18. The playing surface is expected to be well established and playable when Tennessee kicks off against Vanderbilt.
"This is an incredibly special opportunity for the University of Tennessee to host an event of this magnitude," UT Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer said. "I'm grateful to Garth Brooks and his team for working with us to host what is going to be an epic night in Neyland Stadium.
"I know we'll have a packed house, and 'The Third Saturday in November' will go down as a can't-miss spectacle that fans will never forget."
Tickets to the concert cost $94.95, including all fees, and can only be purchased via Ticketmaster through one of the following three methods:
* Online via Ticketmaster.com/GarthBrooks
* Charge by phone on the Ticketmaster "Garth Brooks Line": 1-877-654-2784
* Via the Ticketmaster App, which can be downloaded on a mobile device
Sales begin at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13.
Due to the expected intense ticket demand for the show, fans are urged to create a Ticketmaster account before the on-sale date of Sept. 13 to ensure a quicker purchasing experience. Fans can visit Ticketmaster.com/GarthBrooks and click on "Insider Tips" to create an account. Fans who already have an existing Ticketmaster account should log in and update their information, such as address and credit card number.
Ticketmaster also offers a "Garth Smart Queue," or virtual waiting room, a feature that goes live one hour before the on-sale time.
There is an eight-ticket limit per account, and attendees of all ages must have a ticket. All seats are reserved, and staging will be in-the-round (the entire stadium will be sold, including field-level seats).
Tickets will not be available for purchase through Knoxville Tickets, the UT Ticket Office or AllVols.com. There will be no presale, and there is no official resale marketplace.
Parking will be available through Ticketmaster as part of the ticket-purchasing process. Parking passes will be required to access lots on campus on the day of the concert, just like a Tennessee football gameday.
Detailed information for Knoxville concertgoers, such as local accommodations, will be available online at VisitKnoxville.com/GarthBrooks. Rooms offered at a specialized rate will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
Alcohol will be available for purchase at the concert.
A designated ride-share drop-off/pickup area will be located on Circle Drive near Ayres Hall (not Circle Park).
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.