Was Ed Sheeran’s concert at Chicago’s Soldier Field the greatest concert ever?

Soldier Field estimates that 73,000 people attended the meeting. Saturday night concert by Ed Sheeran.

In a tweet posted to the Lakefront venue’s Twitter account On Sunday, Sheeran’s concert was claimed to be “the greatest concert ever to be here”.

Chicago’s stadium has hosted a variety of people — footballers and circus performers, politicians and civil rights activists, observers of religious and cultural milestones, “Boss” Bruce Springsteen and Special Olympics supporters with megaphones — in almost 100 years.

Judging by the Tribune’s archives, the stadium hosted more than 100,000 people on multiple occasions in its first two decades.

The last time Soldier Field exceeded 73,000 people for a ticketed concert was 45 years ago. rolling stones made the title of the place for the first time.

[ [Don’t miss] Chicago’s Soldier Field: A timeline of events that has hosted athletes, congregations, politicians and artists from around the world since 1924 ]

The stadium was packed with 80,000 fans on July 8, 1978, on a steamy summer day, the Tribune reported. Opening performances were Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Peter Tosh and Journey featuring new vocalist Steve Perry. The Stones’ tracklist included most of the songs from the quintet’s latest album, “Some Girls.” Later that night, Mick Jagger stopped by a Lefty Dizz set at the Kingston Mines. The group also stuck Muddy Waters while in town.

Counting crowds for parades or shows is often difficult, but is more accurate for ticketed events such as concerts or plays. Steve DoigA crowd-counting specialist at Arizona State University and former Knight Head of Journalism, he told the Tribune in 2015.

[ What’s the best way to count a crowd? The commonly accepted method is pretty simple. Here’s what experts say. ]

He says to use the space’s capacity as a test – how many people can really fit in it?

Restructuring One after Soldier Field from 1979-82 $611 million overhaul The renovation of the stadium in 2002-03 would have removed some seats permanently. Therefore, the capacity for ticketed concerts usually does not exceed 70,000; Springstein in 1985.

[ Vintage Chicago Tribune: 5 largest crowd estimates in city history ]

Earlier this summer, Taylor Swift three shows sold out At Soldier Field, with more than 60,000 fans attending for each show. Also fast Two shows sold out in 2015 — With 55,431 tickets purchased for Sunday’s show and 54,445 tickets for Saturday’s concert.

So, the audience for Sheeran’s concert was unusual, but not unprecedented.

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krumore@chicagotribune.com

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