Luke Combs is coming to Phoenix. So is the traffic. How to minimize the aggravation
Like Metallica and Taylor Swift before him, country superstar Luke Combs is popular enough to need two nights at State Farm Stadium to meet demand for tickets to his Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour.
The two-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year will play 25 U.S. stadium shows this year, including two in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday, May 31, and Saturday, June 1.
And he’s bringing in completely different slates of special guests each night.
Friday's concert features Cody Jinks, Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters and the Wilder Blue. Saturday's concert finds him joined by Jordan Davis, Drew Parker and Colby Acuff.
State Farm Stadium concert capacity
When Swift launched the Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium in April 2023, more 69,000 people attended the opening night. And Metallica drew more than 133,000 over the course of two concerts.
That’s a lot of people headed to the same place at the same time, which means you will be dealing with traffic as you inch your way along the roads to State Farm Stadium.
This is especially true if you’re timing your arrival to when Combs is just about to hit the stage, avoiding the opening acts and the price of dinner at a stadium.
This is how bottlenecks happen.
If you're going Friday, you're creeping through rush hour traffic. Saturday, you've got road closures slowing you down. Here are ways to manage the traffic stress of driving to State Farm Stadium.
The earlier you get to State Farm Stadium for Luke Combs, the better
Get there as early as you can. Parking lots open at 3 p.m. Doors open at 4 and the concert is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
When the Rolling Stones played the stadium in early May, we spoke to Moroni Mendez, a public information officer with the Glendale Police Department.
“Our advice would be to try to get there early so that you can beat the traffic or do anything you can to avoid being stuck in all that congestion,” Mendez said.
Tony Abbo, a city traffic engineer for Glendale, says to expect congestion on the freeways as well as Glendale Avenue and Cardinals Way.
Tailgate party at Luke Combs State Farm Stadium concert
If you get there early, there are things to do.
Heritage at Sportsman’s Park, on the Great Lawn outside State Farm Stadium, will host a two-night tailgate party with live music, specialty drinks and dishes to get the crowd excited.
Friday, May 31: From 3-7 p.m., enjoy $8 margaritas and items ranging from homemade pizza to pulled pork sandwiches.
Saturday, June 1: The official Luke Combs Bootlegger Tailgate Party promises live music from up-and-coming artists selected by Combs and Whiskey Jam. Fans can also take advantage of the early access merch sale.
For more info, go to www.heritageatsportsmanspark.com.
And if you're not the tailgate type? As Abbo says, "There’s a lot around the Westgate area that you can enjoy before the concert."
Four opening acts is working in your favor
The fact that the first of four opening acts will take the stage at 5:40 p.m. and Combs isn't scheduled to start until 9 p.m. is definitely working in your favor.
"When you have four acts and the main act doesn’t take the stage until later on in the evening, we have more of an even distribution of traffic for a longer period, versus when there’s only one act or a football game where everybody starts coming in between two hours before and one hour before," Abbo says.
"This one is more spread out."
Phoenix road closures before the Luke Combs concert
The Arizona Department of Transportation has issued a weekend freeway travel advisory for Friday, May 31-Monday, June 3, that may affect your travel time to State Farm Stadium.
Here's what you're up against:
Interstate 17 southbound will be closed between Loop 303 and Happy Valley Road between 10 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday. I-17 southbound on-ramps at Pioneer Road, State Route 74/Carefree Highway and Dove Valley Road will be closed. Use the posted detour route on westbound Loop 303 to southbound Lake Pleasant Parkway and eastbound Happy Valley Road to reach I-17. Or consider staying on Loop 303 southbound to I-10 eastbound in Goodyear to travel toward Phoenix. Avoid using local streets including southbound North Valley Parkway.
I-10 westbound will be closed between U.S. 60 (Superstition Freeway) and the I-17 ("Split" interchange) from 10 p.m. Friday-4 a.m. Monday. State Route 143 northbound will be closed between Broadway Road and Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway). U.S. 60 westbound on-ramps at McClintock Drive, Rural Road and Mill Avenue will be closed. Consider using U.S. 60 eastbound to Loop 101 (Price Freeway) and Loop 202 westbound (Red Mountain Freeway) to reach SR 143 or I-10 beyond the closure. Details: i10BroadwayCurve.com.
Loop 101 northbound (Price Freeway) will be closed between Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) and Warner Road in Chandler from 9 p.m. Friday-5 a.m. Monday. Loop 202 ramps to Loop 101 northbound will be closed. Consider detouring via U.S. 60 or using northbound Dobson Road or McClintock Drive to travel beyond the closure.
Loop 202 southbound (South Mountain Freeway) will be closed from 9 p.m. Saturday-5 a.m. Sunday between I-10 and Van Buren Street in the West Valley. Traffic will detour along southbound 59th Avenue.
Figure out your parking for the Luke Combs concert in advance
Mendez recommended visiting statefarmstadium.com to figure out the parking situation in advance.
“I always try to tell people to try to research ahead of time just so that they know approximately which area they want to park and what route is best to take,” he said.
This map should help.
Follows signs directing traffic outside State Farm Stadium
Roadways will be closed as you approach the stadium with traffic barriers and signs directing cars to go a certain way.
“It’s kind of hard to guess or know ahead of time how the roads are going to be set up,” Mendez said. “That’s why we advise people to try to get there earlier so they can try to beat the rush.”
General parking (blue) access points are available via Glendale Avenue or Cardinals Way from Loop 101 and from surface streets, including 91st and 99th avenues. Follow the guidance from message boards and parking staff.
Stadium staff will direct vehicles into lots according to capacity and traffic flow. Follow the instructions from Glendale police and stadium parking staff.
“When entering the entertainment district, just pay attention to traffic signs directing cars and obviously drive with caution,” Mendez said. “There’s going to be a lot of traffic, a lot of vehicles. Maybe you can focus on the driving and have a passenger available to keep an eye out and kind of lead you.”
The stadium will provide updates on Instagram, Facebook and X.
Use the Waze app for State Farm Stadium parking info
Road closures around the stadium will be included in the Waze app both days.
Fans with Red Preferred Parking can search Waze for Red Lot - State Farm Stadium for navigation to the Red Preferred entry.
Fans using general parking can arrive from any direction to be guided into the closest available lot.
Have your parking ticket QR code ready to scan
Traffic will move faster if you upload your parking permit QR code in advance and have it open on your phone for the parking attendant to scan.
Taking Lyft or Uber to State Farm Stadium
Mendez also recommended using Lyft or Uber.
“If you use rideshare, you don’t have to worry about the driving,” he said. “And it’s maybe a little simpler as far as being dropped off and not having to worry about finding a parking space.”
The drop-off and pick-up area is south of the stadium in the Black Lot.
Abbo recommends carpooling as well.
"It manages congestion a lot better when more people are packed into a single vehicle, he says.
Be mindful of pedestrians
As you approach the stadium, be mindful of pedestrians.
"There will a lot of pedestrians walking along the perimeter of the stadium so take your time and be cognizant of not only the other vehicles, but the pedestrians and workers out there, also Glendale police," Abbo says. "There’s a lot of personnel managing this event, so be vigilant, drive slowly and be patient."
State Farm Stadium bag policy for concerts
Mendez also suggested reviewing the stadium’s clear bag policy and the list of prohibited items, both of which you can find in our ultimate guide to Luke Combs at State Farm Stadium, before you head into the concert.
“There are lockers, but they fill up quickly,” Mendez said. “So just avoid the things that are not allowed in the stadium.”
That being said, he added, be careful about leaving valuables in your car.
“When it comes to stealing or taking things out of vehicles, a lot of times these criminals seek crimes of opportunity,” he said. “And what I mean by that is unsecured vehicles, objects in plain sight, things like that.”
Don't drink and drive
Mendez encouraged fans who like to drink to have a plan in place for getting home.
“Obviously with any event like this, there’s gonna be drinking,” he said. “It’s not worth it to even question if you’re good enough to drive or not. Just don’t do it. Make those plans to get home safely, whether it’s using rideshare or taxi services or even just having a designated driver.”
Traffic after the Luke Combs concert
There will, of course, be traffic after the concert as well, with so many people leaving State Farm Stadium at the same time.
"We try to get everybody out and our track record is good," Abbo says. "At most events, the egress is done within an hour, so we have an efficient way of getting everybody out of the area."
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @EdMasley.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Luke Combs stadium tour in Phoenix: Traffic tips to reduce the hassle
