Country singer breaks record for largest crowd ever at a ticketed US concert

Country music legend George Strait has broken the record for the largest ticketed crowd ever at a U.S. concert.

Billboard reports Strait drew a record audience of 110,905 ticket-buying fans to his concert Saturday at Kyle Field at Texas A&M in College Station. That’s more than the football stadium’s official capacity, as the stage setup allowed for a large number of fans on the field.

“What’s going on everybody?” the 72-year-old singer said. “We got some Aggie’s out there? Oh yeah! I’m ashamed to say this, but this is my first time to ever be in Kyle Field… damn! Just invite me back, I’ll come!”

According to Billboard, it broke the venue’s attendance record for a single event and crushed the previous all-time record for the largest crowd at a ticketed concert in the United States. The Grateful Dead previously held the record with 107,019 fans at a 1977 concert at Raceway Park in New Jersey.

The Dead also drew one of the largest crowds of all time when 600,000 people showed up for Summer Jam in 1973 at Watkins Glen. The concert was ticketed, but the vast majority of the crowd was let in for free after overwhelming the small village in Upstate New York, much like the original Woodstock festival did in 1969.

Strait is no stranger to the record books. He has 60 No. 1 hits in his career, the most by any artist in any genre, and is the only artist to chart a top 10 hit every year for 30 years. The Grammy-winning Country Music Hall of Famer’s long list of popular songs include “I Cross My Heart,” “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “Amarillo by Morning,” “It Just Comes Natural,” “If You Ain’t Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’)” and “Check Yes or No.”

Strait previously went on a farewell tour, “The Cowboy Rides Away Tour,” in 2013, but has continued performing in his golden years. His upcoming concerts include shows at stadiums in Salt Lake City, Detroit, Chicago and Las Vegas; tickets are available through VividSeats and StubHub.

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