Garth Brooks will play in front of the largest Heinz Field crowd ever Saturday night when the county music superstar brings his tour to Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

Ticket sales for the concert could top 75,000 and police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel are preparing for huge crowds of tailgaters and fans around the stadium.

The basics

Parking lots surrounding the Heinz Field will open at 2 p.m., 5 hours before the scheduled 7 p.m. start of the concert. Gates to Heinz Field will open at 5 p.m.

The band Midland is scheduled to open.

Fans can carry only certain-sized bags made of clear plastic or vinyl into the stadium as per the Heinz Field bag policy.

Fans with floor tickets must enter Gate 6 on Reedsdale Street and receive a wristband. Fans picking up tickets at stadium Will Call windows must have photo identification. The window opens at 4 p.m. on May 18.

Check out the set list here and read more about Brooks’ legacy and impact on country music here.

More seats opening up

Contrary to prior reports, the concert wasn’t sold out weeks in advance. Additional seats were added Friday.

Getting there, getting home

Expect traffic delays throughout the North Shore and on highways approaching the area before and after the concert.

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is beefing up its capacity Saturday to deal with the expected crowds, but long waits for buses and trains are expected after the concert.

The T will operate until the Allegheny and North Side stations are clear. Buses will operate on normal Saturday schedules and some may not be running at the end of the show.

Tailgating

Pittsburgh police said Thursday that they will not allow vehicles to park in the streets and wait for the lots to open at 2 p.m. Tailgating and fans will not be allowed in the lot after the concert begins at 7 p.m.

The Coast Guard will be monitoring the rivers to make sure fans tailgating on the water don’t block the shipping and other traffic. Pittsburgh’s River Rescue and the state Fish and Boat Commission will be watching for boats operating irresponsibly or erratically.

There were no small vessel advisories for the rivers as of Friday morning.

Police, fire, EMS presence

Fans can expect to see plenty of police, firefighters and paramedics in Heinz Field and parking lots around the stadium. First responders will include Pittsburgh police and state police on horseback, state liquor control enforcement agents, K-9 patrols, Port Authority of Allegheny County police, Heinz Field security and Allegheny County police.

There will be 32 paramedics inside the stadium during the concert along with two doctors.

Temperatures are expected to be near 80 degrees with possible afternoon thunderstorms. Police said to prepare for sudden weather changes and reminded fans to stay hydrated.

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