Pittsburgh Radio: Country Chaos Spoils Chesney Concert

• Country singer Kenny Chesney performed in Pittsburgh Saturday night 
• Seven were arrested on charges of  trespassing, ticket robbery, assault
• EMS attended to 99 people and 37 were taken to the hospital
• Most involved dehydration, intoxication; no one was in serious condition
• Tailgate party started at 1pm and city cleaned up 48 tons of trash

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review photos

Seven people were arrested, and 37 were taken to the hospital during Saturday night's Kenny Chesney concert at Heinz Field.

According to triblive.com, four people were issued citations and one was given a summons arrest. Ninety-nine people were treated by paramedics, mostly for dehydration, intoxication and related injuries.

When the concert was over, city crews worked until sunrise Sunday to clear an estimated 48 tons of garbage from the parking lots and along the North Shore.

And this year's concert went over more smoothly than it has in the past, officials said.

“I think we've seen major, major improvements,” said Guy Costa, Pittsburgh's chief operations officer.

The infamously rowdy country music concert attracted about 40,000 people from across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and New York, officials said. They estimated an additional 15,000 people came to tailgate outside in the parking lots and along the North Shore before the show started.

The city made several policy changes after 70 people were arrested, 150 people were treated by paramedics and 30 tons of garbage were removed from area after the 2013 concert. The city provided 200 portable toilets and distributed free trash bags. Heinz Field staff members turned away visibly drunk ticket-holders at the gates.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay said his officers saw an “incredible” amount of alcohol consumed between noon and 8 p.m. Saturday. Each of the arrests and citations had to do with public drunkenness and “alcohol-fueled” offenses, he said. Officers had to break up fewer fights this year than they have in previous years.

Revelers began arriving on the North Shore around noon, officials said. Those with concert tickets were required to be inside the park by 7 p.m. and those without tickets were ordered to leave at that time.


The scene was a stark contrast to the one at the Billy Joel concert at PNC Park on Friday night. Officials estimated that show attracted more than 36,000 fans, but public safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said she didn't recall a single person being ejected.