DOWNTOWN — With rejection letters being sent to the hordes of Grateful Dead fans seeking tickets for this summer's shows at Soldier Field, there could be thousands of Deadheads planning to descend on the lakefront in search of a "miracle" ticket outside the shows.
But will fans without tickets be allowed to hang out or tailgate in the parking lots and parkland around Soldier Field?
While there has been no official announcement yet, recent precedent suggests that might not be permitted in Chicago — something that would be a huge bummer for fans who became accustomed to following the band from show to show, often without tickets.
More than 60,000 fans attempted to preorder tickets for the Dead's three shows over Fourth of July weekend. The occasion marks the first — and supposedly last — time the band will perform as the "Grateful Dead" since bandleader Jerry Garcia's death in 1995.
With Soldier Field's capacity of 61,500 seats and more than 360,000 tickets already requested, it's likely many Deadheads will be left empty-handed come July. And if precedent at recent Soldier Field events hold, those without tickets will likely have to take a long, strange trip somewhere other than the farewell festival that weekend.
Soldier Field's main attraction, the Chicago Bears, allow tailgating before and after games. But in 2008, the team banned tailgating during the games, curtailing a decades-long tradition and essentially driving fans without tickets elsewhere. Tailgating without a concert ticket was also barred when Jimmy Buffett, another act known for a loyal following, played nearby Northerly Island in 2013.
A Soldier Field spokesman on Friday said the stadium would let the Grateful Dead "work through their presales" before determining any tailgating rules. A spokeswoman for the Grateful Dead declined to comment.
Formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, Calif., the Grateful Dead pioneered the "jam band" genre, endearing themselves to legions of passionate fans who adored their psychedelic yet eclectic style for decades. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, a little more than a year before the band played its final show as the Dead.
That venue? Soldier Field.
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