Morgan Wallen is set to bring two concerts to Gainesville this weekend, and the city is preparing for the kind of traffic and crowds that force streets to shut down around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gainesville Police Department said part of West University Avenue will close Friday and Saturday before, during and after the shows.
Friday’s concert at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the University of Florida campus is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. and will feature Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock and Zach John King. Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. show will include Adcock and John King again, along with Ella Langley. Both nights are part of Wallen’s Still The Problem Tour 2026, and both are expected to draw heavy traffic around The Swamp.
The closure will run between NW 17th Street and Gale Lemerand Drive, starting at 4 p.m. each day and expected to remain in place until roughly 1 a.m. GPD said the restriction is in place for safety before, during and after the concerts. All stadium gates will open at 4:30 p.m. on both days, giving fans a short window to get in before the first act starts.
Security and entry rules are likely to matter as much as the music once the gates open. Fans with field level tickets must enter through the SEZ Ramp between Gates 15 and 16, while the ADA Wheelchair Seating Level entrance is near Gate 3 on the west side of the stadium. The VIP entrance will be at Gate 17 on the south side. Inside, only wristlets, wallets and clutch purses or cross-body bags no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches will be allowed, and all people and items entering the stadium are subject to screening and inspection.
The parking picture is already tight. Advance public parking in the orange, blue and yellow zones on UF’s campus is sold out for both concerts. Limited day-of-show parking remains available at the Maguire Park and Ride Lot in the Brown Zone for $40 per vehicle, and payment there is credit card only upon arrival. GPD urged motorists to plan ahead, use different routes and expect heavy traffic before and after the concerts, advice that will be hard to ignore once Friday’s road closure begins at 4 p.m. and the first crowd starts heading toward the stadium at 5:30.
For Gainesville, the practical question is not whether Wallen fills the stadium. It is how smoothly the city absorbs two straight nights of concert traffic, and the answer begins with drivers staying away from West University Avenue, fans getting there early and everyone trying to get home before the road shuts back down around 1 a.m.
