Bruno Mars’ The Romantic Tour is set to bring near-capacity crowds to State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Tuesday and Wednesday, and police say the biggest headache will come long before the music starts. The concerts are scheduled for 7 p.m. each night, but Glendale officers expect the worst congestion between 4 and 7 p.m. as gates open and fans arrive.
The city is using the same traffic plan it relies on for Arizona Cardinals home games, including closures near Maryland Avenue and Cardinals Way. Sgt. Bryan Hoskin said the busiest stretch will be the hour before showtime, and he urged concertgoers not to cut it close. “Pre-plan before you get here,” he said, adding that fans should arrive earlier than they think and be patient as lanes tighten and cars merge around detours.
That warning is aimed at more than concertgoers. Drivers passing through the West Valley during the evening commute are also being told to expect slower-than-normal travel on both nights, with alternate routes and extra time strongly advised. Parking confusion is one of the likeliest sources of delay, Hoskin said, especially for drivers who approach from the wrong side of the stadium and then have to be sent around the long way.
“A lot of people say we’ll show up over here to the west side of the stadium and ask about their parking, which is on the east side of the stadium,” he said. “And we then have to explain to them the detour, which is a big loop around.”
The message from police is simple: get there early, leave room for the detours and drive politely when the traffic starts to lock up. “Be kind to one another,” Hoskin said. “If somebody needs to get over, it’s not the end of the world.”
