Things to know before the Garth Brooks concerts

As the fireworks were going off to mark the end of the Queen City Ex, trucks were moving in to start the setup for the two Garth Brooks concerts coming up at Mosaic Stadium.

Parts of the setup can already be spotted above the south lip of the stadium.

With the concerts just days away, the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) is giving out a few tips to concert-goers — namely arrive early, and bring a clear bag. 

“As part of this tour, across every stadium, Garth has made it mandatory that there’s clear bags — a very, very traditional practice associated with major stadium events and, actually, very similar to the one that we’re going to see with the NHL game this fall,” Tim Reid, president and CEO of REAL, explained Tuesday.

Bags that meet the criteria can be purchased from the Rider Store or the exhibition association. Reid said there also will be some commemorative bags for sale outside the stadium on the concert nights.

Small clutch purses or wallets will be allowed in, but they can’t be bigger than eight inches by five inches by two inches.

Reid is also encouraging everyone to be early on Friday and Saturday for the concerts. He said this is getting to be the largest concert the association has ever hosted in the stadium.

“But that means (with) big crowds, it means it’s going to be complicated to get to and from the site, so give yourself a little bit of extra time,” said Reid.

REAL is offering a free shuttle service to and from Mosaic Stadium for both concerts.

The shuttles are to stop at many of the same locations as the Rider Transit stops, except the University of Regina.

Buses will run on the Northgate, Southland, Warehouse (Sixth Avenue and Hamilton Street, Dewdney Avenue and Scarth Street, and Dewdney and Lorne Street) and Downtown (Saskatchewan Drive and Hamilton Street eastbound, and Hamilton and 11^th Avenue) routes and from the old Costco parking lot in the east end.

Shuttles are to leave two hours before the concert begins. Regular transit and Paratransit service also are available; riders just have to show their tickets to the concert.

Elphinstone Street is to close at 3 p.m., each day. Saskatchewan Drive is to close at approximately 10:30 p.m., after each night’s concert.

Gates at Mosaic Stadium are to open at 5 p.m. The opening acts — Brett Kissel on Friday and Jesse Labelle on Saturday — are to hit the stage each night at 7 p.m.

Tickets are still available to both nights. A list of things you can and can’t bring to the concert is available here.

✨ GARTH BROOKS – KNOW BEFORE YOU GO ✨ pic.twitter.com/vNjjx6EblF

— Evraz Place Live (@evrazplacelive) August 6, 2019

– With files from Lisa Schick