Kenny Chesney Breaks MetLife Stadium Attendance Record

Kenny Chesney‘s appearance at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey over the weekend was memorable for a couple of different reasons, including an evacuation and 45-minute storm delay before the show even got off the ground. But once Chesney took the stage, he broke yet another career record, playing to 58,642 members of the No Shoes Nation, and becoming the biggest ticket seller in the history of MetLife Stadium.

In six plays at the stadium, the same number as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen & the E. Street Band and Bon Jovi, Chesney’s total numbered 338,516 – 10,000 ahead of the next closest performer. Chesney became the only country artist in the Meadowlands/MetLife Top 10 concert draws of all time: joining Springsteen (30 plays), the Grateful Dead (14), Bon Jovi (14), U2 (11), the Rolling Stones (9), Dave Matthews Band (9) and Billy Joel (7).

“When they told me, I couldn’t really get my head around it,” Chesney said. “Those are big numbers. But you know, to me, when we hit that stage, and I saw all those people, soaking wet, who’d hung through the evacuation and had come for the music; to me, that was the greatest sight in the world – and it’s why we come back year after year. They rock us harder than we rock them!”

Old Dominion guitarist and “Save It For A Rainy Day” co-writer Brad Tursi was also surprised during the show with an oversized birthday margarita to celebrate his big day.

“This was the last night for Thomas and OD,” Chesney said. “It’s been an incredible summer, filled with so much incredible music, heart and great people. Tonight on stage, after all of it, you could really feel the power of what music does for and to people. You can have a ton of rainfall stop the momentum, but you can’t stop the songs. It’s why we do what we do, and I hope it’s why No Shoes Nation keeps coming back.”

The crowd at MetLife Stadium. Photo: Kenny Chesney/Instagram

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Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at lhollabaugh@musicrow.com.

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