On this day (August 7) in 1997, Garth Brooks held a free concert in New York’s Central Park. Some estimates say nearly 1 million people attended the show, which was broadcast live on HBO. Millions of fans nationwide tuned in to watch history in the making as the Oklahoma native tore through some of his biggest hits and paid tribute to the artists who inspired him.
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The summer of 1997 saw Brooks in the middle of his world tour, which began in 1996 and wrapped up in 1998. The massive tour took him around the globe, but didn’t initially include a stop in New York. As a result, he made nationwide headlines when he announced a free concert in Central Park that would be televised on HBO. Brooks and the concert’s organizers knew it was going to be a big event. However, no one could have predicted how big it would be.
According to an Entertainment Tonight report, organizers built a massive temporary stage in the park’s North Meadow. The intricately designed setup included multiple screens and 24 cameras to capture the excitement for those watching at home and audience members who didn’t have a good view of the stage. Dubbed “Garthstock,” the event drew a record-breaking crowd.
Garth Brooks Sets an Attendance Record in Central Park
The exact number of people who attended Garth Brooks’ free Central Park concert is widely debated. Some estimates put the number above 1 million. Others claim only about 750,000 people showed up. The New York City Fire Department estimated that 980,000 attended the event.
Even if the lower estimate were accurate, Brooks would have still beaten the previous record of 600,000 set by Paul Simon in 1991. Brooks paid homage to Simon and his record-setting crowd by opening his concert with “A Heart in New York.”
Garth: Live from New York was broadcast live on HBO, drawing 14.6 million viewers. This was the highest viewership for any televised concert event that year. Later, MGM released a VHS version of the event titled Live in Central Park as part of The Entertainer, a box set featuring Brooks’ television events and music videos.
Brooks didn’t entertain the massive crowd alone. Billy Joel joined him for “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up),” “New York State of Mind,” and “You May Be Right.” Additionally, Don McLean joined him for a cover of “American Pie.”
Featured Image by BOB STRONG/AFP via Getty Images
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