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Paul McCartney fans said they spent $500, missed 'half the show' due to parking and traffic issues

Fans said the Paul McCartney concert in Winston-Salem was incredible Saturday night, but some people had difficulty getting there.

Posted Updated
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By
Jessica Patrick
, WRAL senior multiplatform producer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Fans said the Paul McCartney concert in Winston-Salem was incredible Saturday night, but some people had difficulty getting there.

Zach Brogan from Durham told WRAL News he took his father, a lifelong Beatles fan, to the concert only to sit in traffic for four hours outside the event at Truist Field, located at 475 Deacon Blvd.

Brogan said he left Durham at 4:40 p.m. to drive to the concert. At 6 p.m., he was parked outside Truist. What his GPS showed was a 6-minute, 2.2 mile drive to the venue turned into a 4-hour wait.

Brogan and his dad finally parked at 10 p.m. and sprinted to their seats. They were able to catch just under half the concert, he said, and only because Paul McCartney started late to help the fans stuck outside.

Brogan told WRAL News it wasn't just about the money, although he spent a lot to treat his dad to the concert.

"I spent over $500 and missed over half of the show," he said.

Brogan said he and his dad were lucky, because it appeared at least 100 other cars couldn't find parking spaces.

"There was no parking at all," he said. "It's unbelievable, but I know there are plenty of people who didn't get to see any of the show after paying more, so for that, we feel fortunate."

Another viewer echoed his concerns, saying she also spent more than $500 and waited for four hours.

Truist is the home field of the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons, so the Wake Forest University Athletic Department coordinated traffic efforts along with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the Winston-Salem Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Winston-Salem Police Department, according to WXII. Additional officers were posted along Interstate 40, U.S. Highway 52 and U.S. Highway 421 into Winston-Salem.

WXII posted the following statements from Wake Forest University and the Wake Forest Police Department:

Saturday's Sir Paul McCartney Concert at Truist Field was a historic event for the Winston-Salem community and we appreciate the patience of the record-breaking crowd in the aftermath of a thunderstorm that caused some disruption in traffic patterns and the parking process.
The Winston-Salem Police Department is aware of the increased traffic in and around Truist Field due to the Paul McCartney concert. Wake Forest University issued a press release earlier this week with information about the concert, to include increased traffic. Additionally, a thunderstorm came through the area, which caused delays in parking vehicles.

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