Yes, You Will Be Able to Drink at the Garth Brooks Concert
You spent a small fortune on tickets. You've had a countdown running on the lock screen of your phone for weeks. Now your bucket list concert is only a few days away!
There are THOUSANDS of Idahoans looking forward to the Garth Brooks concerts happening at Albertson Stadium on Friday and Saturday. No surprise, a lot of them have questions about the first ever major concert to be held on "The Blue." From the get go, one of those questions was "will they be selling alcohol at the concert?"
That's a good question! Albertsons Stadium is notoriously "dry" (with the exception of the Stueckle Sky Center) during Boise State football season. If memory serves, the only time alcohol has been served in the main stadium was during the Basque Soccer Friendly in 2015. During basketball season, Taco Bell Arena is also dry but does serve alcohol during concerts at the facility.
According to the Idaho Statesman, the stadium will follow in Taco Bell Arena's steps for the Garth concerts on Friday and Saturday by offering canned beer and hard seltzer to those wishing to buy some "extra fun." If you were hoping to enjoy whiskey or tequila, pretty common staples at country concerts, you'll want to sweet talk someone who's sitting in the Stueckle Sky Center, because that's the only place in the venue offering cocktail service.
If you're not looking forward to paying concert prices for a beer, you've got the option of enjoying your own drinks during pre-show tailgating. Approved on-campus tailgate areas will open at noon. Like during football season, those drinks must be in opaque plastic cups. Glass containers, beer cans, liquor bottles or cups with alcoholic labeling are not permitted. Police will be looking for individuals trying to drink underage, so if you're 21 or older, make sure you have your ID on you in case you're asked for it.
The major difference with the alcohol policy at the concert as opposed to football season? According to the Boise Police Department there is NO open container zone (commonly known as the 10-to-10 zone) in effect for the concert. Open containers are limited to on-campus tailgate areas and surrounding licensed establishments like R Bar, The End Zone, Suds and Chili's. If you're drinking alcohol in a nearby park, you're bound to that park's alcohol policies. Drinks are not allowed on the Greenbelt or within 250 feet of the river.