Red eye: A look through the lens of the university photographer
The football program known for playing anybody, anytime, anywhere now has something in common with the artist known for performing “Whenever, Wherever” – they’ve both sold out Valley Children’s Stadium.
Shakira closed out the North American leg of her international tour on Aug. 7 at Valley Children’s Stadium – and it was the first stadium concert ever at the Fresno State venue, showing the potential for a new revenue stream for the university. A crowd of 35,000-plus fans rocked out in triple-digit heat with the multi-GRAMMY award winner who was named Billboard’s greatest Latin female artist of all-time.
The concert attracted nearly 10,000 out-of-area visitors to the region, generating an estimated $2.14 million in visitor spending. About 29% of those visitors traveled from more than 50 miles away.
“Valley Children’s Stadium has always been the heartbeat of our community on fall Saturdays, and this concert showed its potential to shine on an even larger stage,” said Garrett Klassy, Fresno State’s director of athletics. “The energy of 35,000 fans coming together, many from outside our region, created an economic impact that benefited not only Fresno State but our entire Valley. This is proof that our stadium can serve as a source of pride and opportunity year-round, and we look forward to exploring future events that will continue to elevate both our university and our community.”
35,000+
crowd
10,000
out-of-area visitors
$2.14M
in visitor spending
Photos by Cary Edmondson (‘03); Written by Eddie Hughes (‘05)
