PORTLAND, Oregon — More than 12 hours before Providence Park opened its doors for its first concert in nearly 20 years, people were already lining up outside the gates.
On Friday night, The Foo Fighters will perform, along with Alex G and the Pretenders.
Despite the concert's start time of 5:30 p.m., some fans showed up at 5 a.m. to make sure they had their first choice of where to take the music in from.
“We like to be up on the rail," Francine Stone, a Foo Fighters fan from Delaware, said. "Up close and personal. And that’s what you do to do it.”
Stone is celebrating her birthday at the concert on Friday. She booked her Foo Fighters tickets months in advance, in preparation for her 30th Foo Fighters concert.
“The first time I saw them I just knew I had to see them again. And again and again,” Stone said.
For the first time, she'll see Foo Fighters in Portland.
“It feels intimate," Stone said of Providence Park, "which I think will be awesome.”
Other fans also lined up before sunrise to see the band. Some were from Portland and were excited to see the band in their hometown for the first time.
“They’re opening this place's first show in 20 years," Lee, who is from Portland, said. "I mean, let’s kick it off right.”
Lee told KGW it will be his 24th Foo Fighter concert. For others, it will be their first time seeing the band live.
“I don’t know what to expect; I’m really excited,” Jaden said.
Providence Park CEO Heather Davis told KGW that the band was eager to perform in the first concert held at Providence Park since 2005.
"We felt like there was really no better time to bring concerts back to Portland," Davis said. "This is now a venue that will allow tours to stop here in Portland on their way from California to Seattle. Most often, tours were just bypassing Portland in the past."
Previously, Providence Park has hosted renowned musicians like Elvis Presley, David Bowie and Tom Petty. It was one of the first outdoor stadium concerts in music history, according to the Timbers.
Now, it is set to host more concerts and can support 30,000 attendees.
On September 25, Green Day will perform with special guests The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and The Linda Lindas for "The Saviors" tour.
Providence Park is preparing to host more concerts in 2025 as well, Davis said. Musicians have not yet been announced.