Know before you go: Paul McCartney concert at the Carrier Dome

This Saturday night, the highly anticipated, sold-out Paul McCartney concert will take place at the Carrier Dome. The guitarist and singer is set to take the stage for 35,000 fans.

Set-up for the show began on Wednesday, after two months of preparation. On Thursday, speakers and lights are being brought in on 22 trailers of equipment, on top of the nine that arrived earlier in the week.

Photo: Colleen Siobhan Cambier

Only a few days away until legendary Paul McCartney performs on this soon-to-be-stage in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York.

As the Dome gets prepared for the concert, you should, too. Here is what you need to know before Saturday:

Parking & Arrival

The show starts at 8 p.m. with no opening act. So get there early.

Do not expect to find last-minute parking, especially at Manley Field House. Like the concert itself, these parking spots at Manley are completely sold out. The Skytop parking lots have available parking that opens at 3 p.m. The cost is $20 for cars and $40 for buses and larger forms of transportation. Keep in mind that it is cash only.

What to Bring

Avoid bringing a large bag, as it will cost you extra time getting checked by security. This year, each guest can bring one unopened water bottle of any size into the concert. Peter Sala, chief campus facilities officer at Syracuse University, made water a priority this year. “We want people to hydrate,” Sala said. “We’ve been ordering water nonstop and we’re going to do everything we can for people to access water wherever they are.”

At the Concert

There will also be ground-floor restrooms available at this concert, a difference from last year. Although Sala explains that the plumbing was a challenge to get in place, his main goal was to make it easier for fans to navigate their way to the closest restrooms. He said he hoped this would solve the problem they had with restrooms at the Luke Bryan concert in 2016.

“We learned a lot from Luke Bryan, and now I want to be over-prepared.” he said.

Sala is also overseeing extra preparation in relation to the pyrotechnics involved in McCartney’s set.

“Pyro, you know, fireworks are a big part of the show,” he said. “It’s something I guess I’m excited about.”

Sala said he increased medical staff for the event, setting aside air-conditioned areas throughout the dome, in case someone were to suffer from heat exhaustion. The weather on Saturday is expected to be a warm 88 degrees; Sala said the pressurized Carrier Dome will be pumped with cool air in preparation for the concert.

On the day of the concert, bring water, show up early and prepare for a fun afternoon and evening. As Sala said, “we encourage people to tailgate. It’s going to be a beautiful day.”