Beaver Stadium prepares for inaugural concert

For country music fans, seeing Blake Shelton, Chris Young and Big & Rich at the same show is a huge deal. But when that show is the first-ever concert at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, the can’t-miss factor increases.

Penn State Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief Operating Officer Phil Esten said that response and ticket sales for Saturday’s Happy Valley Jam, which was first announced in November, have been reflective of the unique nature of the event.

“There’s a lot of anticipation and excitement around the first concert ever at Beaver Stadium,” Esten said. “And there’s a lot of excitement around Blake.”

Shelton, a country superstar and “The Voice” coach with 17 consecutive No. 1 singles under his belt, is the Happy Valley Jam headliner. In addition to hit-makers Young and Big & Rich, David Ray and Adley Stump are also featured performers. Stump is set to take the stage at 4 p.m., kicking off about 7 hours of music in the stadium.

Tickets for the jam have been sold in more than 40 states and Canada, according to a press release. With the stage set up in the north end zone, there will be 7-8,000 seats on the field, Esten said, in addition to seats in the stand. Total capacity for the show is about 70,000, and Esten said the goal is 30-40,000 people, with “good progress” so far toward that number.

“It’s important for people to know that tickets will still be available,” Esten said.

Beaver Stadium parking lots will open at 11 a.m. Saturday for tailgating, and similar security measures as a Penn State football game will be in place for the show.

“For us, it’s a smaller-scale football game,” Esten said.

Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics has worked with Basis Entertainment to present the concert, and Esten said future events are possible.

Former Penn State student and Nashville recording artist Ben Gallaher will kick things off in downtown State College on Friday night with the Jam Before The Jam. The show will be held 8-9 p.m. during First Friday, and Gallaher will perform on the corner of East College Avenue and South Allen Street.

“Coming back to Pennsylvania to kick off the Blake Shelton weekend is a thrill for me,” Gallaher said in a news release.

This story was originally published July 5, 2017 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Beaver Stadium prepares for inaugural concert."