University planning for 90,000 fans in Memorial Stadium for Garth Brooks concert

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour is coming to Lincoln. The concert will be Saturday, August 14th at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

“We’re excited it’s like bringing an eighth home game back to Lincoln,” said Garrett Klassy, Senior Deputy Athletics Director.

University of Nebraska officials told 1011 NOW they hope to have 90,000 fans attend the concert. They plan to utilize both stadium seats and seats on the field.

“Most importantly we engaged the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health officials from the beginning,” Klassy said. “So we could talk about capacity and health measures and really it wasn’t just an athletics initiative it took the whole campus to pull off something like this.”

One of the biggest driving factors for the university is the economic impact an act like Brooks brings.

Calls and internet searches for hotel rooms showed them being snapped up in the downtown area in hours.

“Usually $10 to $15 million in economic development everywhere they go,” Klassy said. “That’s really exciting that these hotels, bars, restaurants how they’ve been impacted during the pandemic that hits close to home that impacts us all.”

The university also said it’s in the process of getting the paperwork in order to sell alcohol in Memorial Stadium for the event and that it will consider more events like this if all goes well come August.

Tickets will be on sale Friday, May 21 at 10 a.m. CDT. The all-inclusive ticket will cost $94.95 each. The concert will have in-the-round seating with an eight-ticket limit per purchase. There are only 3 ways to purchase tickets for the Aug. 14 show:

  • Online at ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks
  • On the Garth Brooks line at Ticketmaster, 1-877-654-2784
  • Through the Ticketmaster App on your phone.

Fans should be aware there will be no ticket sales at the venue box office or Ticketmaster outlets on Friday, May 21st.

“This is an exciting day for Nebraska and the City of Lincoln,” Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos said. “We have looked long and hard for the past year at several options to boost the local and state economy. The opportunity to partner with Garth Brooks for a show at Memorial Stadium was a no-brainer. This concert will have Lincoln buzzing, provide a great kickoff to the fall and benefit the University, City of Lincoln and State of Nebraska.”

The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour began in March of 2019 and has broken attendance records at every stop on the tour, and will have a major economic impact on Lincoln and the surrounding area.

“Nebraska Athletics is proud to bring an event of this magnitude to Memorial Stadium,” Klassy said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch one of the most iconic entertainers of our lifetime perform in one of the most storied venues in the United States. There is no doubt that the Garth Brooks Stadium Tour at Memorial Stadium will be a highly coveted ticket and be a memorable night in Lincoln.”

The University of Nebraska said it continues to work with the Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department and will follow all local COVID protocols.