Noah Kahan at Petco Park: 15 things to know if you are going to his sold-out Monday concert
How enjoyable will top-selling Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan’s sold-out, full-stadium Monday concert be at Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres?
It may depend. To be more precise, it may Depend on how many diehard concertgoers near the front of the stage opt to wear disposable protective underwear or actual diapers.
Kahan, whose Petco show here sold out in a near-instant, this year joined several other high-profile stars who have encountered bladder- and bowel-related issues among a small but potent number of attendees at their concerts. Some fans are so eager to watch and hear their idols, up close and nearly personal, that — no matter how great the urge — they are declining to seek relief in restrooms if it means giving up their places near the front of the stage.
In June, fans who attended Kahan’s packed concert at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park posted video of what they alleged was the end result of a bathroom-averse fan who had defecated on the ground near the stage. This inspired a social media post the next day from Kahan, who wrote: “If you have to poop at a show please dear god just go to the bathroom lmao…”
Kahan isn’t alone.
In June, Temecula-bred pop vocal star Olivia Rodrigo told a London radio interviewer: “I have been to certain concerts and certain festivals where people wear diapers so that they can be front row of the show. And that’s been an experience as a performer that I have smelled and experienced. I think about it kind of often. It’s a real thing.”
Adding to the brouhaha, on Thursday a Baltimore man was arrested and faces multiple charges after allegedly urinating on seated fans and brawling at a Morgan Wallen concert at that city’s M&T Bank Stadium on July 18.
With any luck, Kahan’s San Diego fans will demonstrate exemplary concert etiquette and adhere to the highest levels of personal hygiene. If they don’t, well, perhaps he can dedicate his recent song, “Deny Deny Deny,” to them.
Either way, this will be Kahan’s largest show here to date. It comes, following his 2024 performance at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre and previous area gigs at smaller indoor venues.
Here’s everything you need to know about his Monday performance at Petco Park, a ballpark that — very happily — provides plenty of permanent and temporary restroom options, some of which are very close to the stage.
1. The scheduled starting time for Noah Kahan’s Petco Park concert is 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17. There are two opening acts: Gigi Perez and Annabelle Dinda. The concert is sold out but a limited number of suites are still on sale at padres.com/concerts.
2. All gates at Petco Park will open at 5 p.m. Monday and early arrival is encouraged. No re-entry will be allowed.
3. Early line-up will begin at 7 a.m. on Monday outside the Home Plate Gate, located on Park Blvd. near Imperial Ave. Camping out or gathering outside the venue prior to 7 a.m. is not permitted.
4. Multiple exterior concert merchandise locations will open at 10 a.m. Monday. Locations include: Tenth Avenue at K Street; J Street at Ninth Avenue, and L Street near 7th Avenue.
5. Padres parking lots will open at 1 p.m. Monday for concertgoers with pre-purchased passes. Limited day-of parking will be subject to availability. No tailgating will be permitted in the Tailgate Lot.
6. Use of public transportation is strongly encouraged. The final post-concert departure times for the San Diego Trolley from the 12th & Imperial Transit Center, which is the closest station to Petco Park, are as follows:
• The last Blue Line trolley to UTC leaves at 11:38 p.m. Monday
• The last Blue Line trolley to San Ysidro leaves at 12:07 a.m. Tuesday
• The last Orange Line trolley to La Mesa/El Cajon) leaves at 11:56 pm Monday.
• The last NCTD Coaster train from San Diego to Oceanside departs at midnight Monday.
7. All tickets for the concert are digital and can be found in either the MLB Ballpark app or the Ticketmaster app. Details on how to access or transfer your tickets are available online at mlb.com/padres/tickets/mobile/guide.
8. Concertgoers with non-field level “seating bowl” tickets may enter at the following gates:
• The Gaslamp Gate, located at K Street and Seventh Avenue.
• The East Village Gate, located at K Street and 10th Avenue.
• The Park Boulevard Gate, located at the intersection of Park Boulevard and 10th Avenue.
• The Home Plate Gate, located at the corner of Park Boulevard and Tony Gwynn Drive.
9. Concertgoers with tickets for seats on the field — designated as sections A1-A2, B1-B8, C1-C5, ADA1, or ADA2— must enter at the Gaslamp Breezeway, located at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and K Street, or at the Park Boulevard Gate, located at the intersection of Park Boulevard and 10th Avenue, for field access. Those ticket holders must obtain a specific field-access wristband before they can gain entry to the field level. Field wristbands are available at the Gaslamp Breezeway and Park Boulevard Gate.
Concertgoers with tickets for section GA Left, GA Right, or Front Porch must enter at the Park Boulevard Gate, located at the intersection of Park Boulevard and 10th Avenue. Guests with Floor Tickets labeled as Sections GA will need a specific access wristband before entry. Wristbands are available upon entry at the Park Boulevard Gate entrance. Please note: Each ticket will be scanned in order to receive a wristband.
10. Concertgoers who purchased a suite can enter, starting at 5 p.m. Monday, through any of the non-field level “seating bowl” entrances. Suites will remain open until 30 minutes after the concert concludes.
11. No outside food or beverages are permitted, including factory-sealed water bottles and reusable water bottles.
11. Petco Park prohibits backpacks and bags, with the exception of single-compartment clear plastic bags not exceeding 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, infant and medical bags, and clutches and purses no larger than 5 inches by 7 inches.
13. Petco Park is a cashless venue. Credit cards, Padres Pay, Google Pay and Apple Pay are accepted at all concessions locations within the ballpark.
14. Lock N Go spaces are available for guests to check their items for a small fee. Lock N Go opens at 3:30 p.m. Monday and will be available in the Lexus Premier Lot and at the Gaslamp Gate and East Village Gate.
15. Banners, signs and posters are not permitted. Neither are bubble-making devices, candy necklaces, drones, eye drops, gum, hula hoops, pacifiers or selfie sticks. A full list of prohibited items is available at: mlb.com/padres/tickets/concerts/prohibited-items.