Globe Life Park Becomes Country Music Venue
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ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - The stages are up, the stars are ready, and Globe Life Park in Arlington now looks more like a music venue than a major league ballpark. That is because a big music festival is being held there on Friday and Saturday ahead of the ACM Awards at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night.
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It was not easy to turn Globe Life Park into a music venue. Crews spent hours on lighting and sound for the Party With a Cause concert. Protective flooring had to be put down over the baseball field. But, after 36 hours of work, three stages are now in place inside and around the ballpark.
"It's our 50th anniversary," explained ACM Awards events organizer Erick Long. "You got to make sure it's bigger, and everything is bigger here in Texas."
Some of the acts playing at this music festival include Luke Bryan, Alabama, Eli Young Band, Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire.
Vendors at the ballpark -- with boots and cowboy hats on display -- are excited to be a part of one of the biggest awards shows in music history. "This is going to be wild," said craftsman Dale Lostracco. "This is going to be a neat weekend. I think we're all going to enjoy it, have a good time and meet a lot of people."
An estimated 32,000 country music fans are expected to be at the ballpark on Friday night, and then again on Saturday night. Gates open at noon each day, and a few tickets are still available. Party For a Cause benefits military charities.
Meanwhile, Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton will host the ACM Awards show on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium. During a media update on Friday morning, organizers said that they have already sealed a Guinness World Record title for the most attended live awards show.
Shelton is not surprised by the accomplishment, given the fanbase in North Texas. "This is the Mecca of country music fans. If you took a poll around the area, I'm sure 95 percent of people who live here are country music fans," he said on Friday morning. "It's cool to bring the show, one time, somewhere where you are hitting the fanbase right in the heart."
"It's about relishing the 50 years and all the icons that got us here," added Bryan. "Blake and I, our approach, honor the show the way it needs to be, and have fun with it."