The Ralph Engelstad Arena is asking concertgoers to arrive early and bring as little with them as possible to Saturday night's Carrie Underwood show, which is expected to be one of the biggest in the arena's history.
For those attending the show, a search will be performed on fans prior to entering the building and the only bags allowed inside will be small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand. Backpacks and large bags or purses are prohibited for the concert.
Though all in attendance will be searched before entering the building, Jody Hodgson, the general manager at The Ralph, declined to say what specific security measures the arena is using or whether or not metal detectors will be used to search people entering because of safety reasons.
"I don't want to broadcast what our procedures will be from a search standpoint and make everybody aware of what we are or aren't going to do," Hodgson said.
Stronger security at concerts is a growing trend in concert venues across the country, particularly after the Bataclan Concert Hall in Paris was attacked in November.
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For its Jason Aldean concert in January, the Alerus Center implemented new security measures that utilized handheld metal detectors and restricting the size of bags people could bring inside the building. The arena also opened its doors 90 minutes before the concert, which is 30 minutes earlier than usual.
The Alerus Center's stronger security measures caused delays that prompted angry responses from the people attending the show, with some saying they waited in line for 30 to 45 minutes to enter.
Hodgson encouraged those attending Saturday night's show at the REA to pack as lightly as possible and abide by the new bag policy.
"The biggest thing people can do is come to the event with as little in their hands and on their backs as possible," he said.
Doors to the concert will open at 6 p.m., which is one hour before the show's scheduled start time, and the parking lot will open at 2 p.m.
Hodgson said tickets sales to the Underwood concert, which will feature a 360-degree stage setup in the middle of the arena floor, have been strong and the arena is expecting a capacity crowd.
Tickets to the show are still available and can be purchased at the REA box office or on ticketmaster.com. Tickets range in price from $46 to $76.
The following items will be prohibited inside the arena for the Underwood show:
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• Coolers, large bags, bottles, cans, thermoses or any projectiles
• Weapons, guns, knives, sticks, etc. (any dangerous item)
• Bicycles, roller blades, skateboards
• Glass containers
• Recording devices, video cameras, professional cameras, GoPro, selfie-sticks and tablets
• Air horns, whistles or noisemakers
• Non-prescribed drugs
• Outside food and beverage of any kind including alcohol
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• Any unauthorized signs
• Any aerosol spray bottles of any size
