While celebrating with their “Friends in Low Places,” attendees of “The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour” scheduled on July 17, 2021, at Rice-Eccles Stadium will also be providing aid to Utah artists hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The University of Utah has raised approximately $50,000 through the revenue generated by ticket sales to support our Utah artists and U students,” said Aaron White, director, Stadium & Arena Event Services. “The U has found a great partner in the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, which does incredible work supporting this community.”

The artists receiving grant funding will be professionals who lost significant earnings because of the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the cancellation of festivals, community celebrations, gallery shows and other events relied upon by artists for income.

“The pandemic hit the arts sector particularly hard, so I’m excited that all of us can now rally around Utah artists in this way,” said Gov. Spencer J. Cox. “For those of you who have truly missed live performances as much as I have, I hope you’ll join me in supporting local artists and art students while also enjoying an unforgettable evening with Garth Brooks.”

Half of the money raised will support arts programs at the university, and the other half will be distributed to Utah artists through grants from the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement.

“Artists thrive on in-person events and the loss of those during the pandemic hit the cultural sector extremely hard. In particular, performing artists have struggled because of the income they lost during the summer, fall and winter of 2020,” said Jill Love, executive director of the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement. “The money raised during this concert will provide an important safety net as they regain their footing.”

The July 17 Garth Brooks concert is the first show at Rice-Eccles Stadium by an individual artist or band since U2 in 2011. It sold out within 30 minutes of being announced on May 6—the fastest-ever stadium show to sell out in the U.S.