Due to overwhelming demand, a ninth Garth Brooks concert was announced Thursday at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Earlier on Thursday morning, an eighth show was added. Tickets went on sale Thursday morning at 10 a.m.
READ MORE: Garth Brooks coming to Edmonton in 2017
#GARTHinedmonton was a top trending hashtag across Canada.
Watch Below: Garth Brooks is so popular in Edmonton, on Thursday he announced he was adding a ninth performance to his Edmonton stop this winter. Sarah Kraus has more on the the reaction to the added show.
As of 11:04 a.m. Thursday, it seems tickets were sold out for the ninth show to be added. However, a spokeswoman for Brooks said, as of 11:22 a.m. Thursday, the four newest shows were “still selling.” Brooks’ team also said more than 140,000 tickets had already been sold.
So what makes Brooks so loved by his fans? Kylie Robertson said it’s simple: “Country music and Garth Brooks are just synonymous. You can’t think of one without the other.”
The Edmonton native said she grew up with his music and still can’t get enough to this day.
“It’s just a good guy with a good voice, talking about relationships and about family and about love – who can’t relate to any of that?”
In an interview with CISN Country early Thursday morning, Brooks said he was “so flattered, so humbled” by the response in Edmonton.
“Nobody could have guessed in a million years,” he said over the phone.
“They called me Friday… They called me quick after the on-sale started and I thought, ‘oh this is good.’ They said, ‘they’re all gone.’ I said, ‘what do you mean, they’re all gone? How many did you sell?’ They said they got five in and they said there were people still waiting.
“That’s so sweet of them. I promised anybody who wanted a ticket would get one… We’re going to put a show on that next weekend to hopefully take care of anybody that’s left who didn’t get a ticket.”
The Garth Brooks show dates at the new Rogers Place are:
- Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. (NEW)
- Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. (NEW)
- Saturday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. (NEW)
- Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.
Brooks said two other cities on the concert tour surprised the team with interest in tickets. Chicago and Minneapolis started out as one-show stops and grew to 11 shows each.
“There are cities where you just say, ‘no way’ and this was one of them.”
The CMA Entertainer of the Year said his team is so excited to return to Edmonton.
“The guys know this place inside and out, they love this place,” Brooks said, “so coming back to it is going to be home for us… Everybody is going to treat us like family.”
“It’s a love fest,” he said. “I think it’s what we love most about getting to do this… You’re not performing in front of them, you’re performing with them.”
It’s the first time Brooks has played in Edmonton in 21 years, according to CISN Country. His previous shows at Northlands Coliseum on August 10 to 12, 1996 saw 50,871 tickets sold.
Ian O’Donnell, the executive director of the Downtown Business Association, said the timing of the concerts falls into what is normally a slow time for tourism and will be a big boost to the downtown economy.
“It’s going to have such a tremendous impact on the city, the region and especially downtown. The restaurants and hotels and bars will be hopping. It’s just going to be such a great atmosphere.”
Brooks already has plans for his downtime in Alberta’s capital.
“I’m going to eat,” he said with a laugh. “We’re going to find every place, like a pizza place and stuff, and we’re going to eat.”
The tickets will only be sold online through Ticketmaster. There is a limit of eight tickets per customer.
READ MORE: Garth Brooks adds yet another Edmonton concert date
Brooks’ management said no more shows would be added in Edmonton.
Watch below: It seems Alberta’s capital just can’t get enough of country singer Garth Brooks. Three more Edmonton concerts were added to his world tour, bringing the total number of Brooks’ Edmonton shows in February to nine. Sarah Kraus has more.