Garth Brooks excited to bring fans together in Edmonton: ‘All about inclusion’

Garth Brooks is no stranger to Edmonton — where he sold out nine concerts in 2017 — and said this time, the bar has been raised for the outdoor shows at Commonwealth Stadium.

Strolling into a room full of reporters and cameramen in a hoodie and ball cap, sporting a big, warm smile, you’d be excused for thinking the man who is arguably the most famous voice in country music was one of the crew.

But whether it’s the façade of a seasoned performer or genuine earnestness, Garth Brooks seems like he could be anyone’s best friend — or at least for two nights, the buddy of everyone in Edmonton.

“You know, I think the thing with Edmonton is — the same thing for all the places you enjoy — it’s the people, right?” he said while sitting on the edge of a stage, talking with reporters Friday afternoon.

“And these people, they don’t just show up — they show up ready to play and they show up with an expectation.”

Brooks is no stranger to Edmonton: in 2017, he sold out not one — not even two or three — but nine concerts with his wife Trisha Yearwood at Rogers Place: “Every one of those nights were bad-ass nights.”

In total, about 160,000 fans took in those shows five years ago. He said that level of dedication raises the bar for him and his crew.

Brooks said the 2017 shows also left him with high expectations of the crowd showing up at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday and Saturday night.

The sold-out shows in Edmonton are the only Canadian dates on a tour that has taken him across the United States and will finish in Dublin, Ireland.