Thousands help Regina Rock Mosaic for test event at stadium

A beautiful night, a brand new venue, and three bands.

It was enough for thousands of people to pour into Mosaic Stadium in Regina Saturday night for the city’s second test event.

Fans of Our Lady Peace, Johnny Reid, and Bryan Adams were on their feet, many with beers in hand if they weren’t clapping along to their favourite songs.

Some came solely for the concert, some strictly to see the stadium for the first time, and others for a little bit of both.

For those who checked out the facility, they were blown away.

“My first time in the stadium, it’s friggin awesome,” said Saskatoon’s Alan Pugh.

“There’s so much to like about it, there’s better bathrooms, it’s bigger, there’s better seats,” said Angela Clements, who drove in from Estevan. “They’re really good at taking what the fans want and incorporating it.”

Others at the concert shared some of those sentiments, appreciating the space in the venue compared to old Mosaic Stadium.

Some women liked how accessible the ladies’ washrooms were.  Others joked they were pleased the washrooms had hot water.

“I was looking forward to coming down here and seeing what got built and I’m not disappointed. It was a great facility,” echoed Regina’s Steve Battistolo.

Gates to the event opened at 4 p.m. and by that time there were roughly 100 to 200 people in line waiting to get in.

A steady trickle of people continued over the next few hours until Adams headlined the show at 9 p.m.

But the stadium is not perfect.

Battistolo and Clements each called the limited parking a setback.

“Not a big fan of the parking,” said Clements.

Transit to the stadium was free and there were shuttles available from many major malls.

However, coming from outside the city, those options don’t make as much sense for Clements, who prefers to drive herself and park close to the stadium so she can leave immediately after.

The price of beer being too high and not enough washrooms were other critiques.

But overall, people like Clements seem to accept those as minor issues.

“I’m all about supporting the stadium, supporting the team, and supporting Regina.”