If you’re in the Pittsburgh area and looking to attend a top-notch sporting event or concert, look no further than the iconic Heinz Field in downtown Pittsburgh.
While it has served a multitude of purposes, Heinz
Field is perhaps best known as the home of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers as
well as the University of Pittsburgh’s Panthers (college football). It sits
along the Allegheny River in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Previously
known as Three Rivers Stadium, it was once the home of not only the Steelers
and Panthers but also the MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates. Three Rivers Stadium was
split into two separate stadiums in 2001, Heinz Field and PNC Park.
As a longtime Steelers fan, I can assure you that there
is no greater feeling than the thrill of attending a Steelers game at Heinz
Field. My dad has season tickets, so I’ve been to quite a few games. The
atmosphere is absolutely incredible, no matter what time of year you go – I’ve
been to Steelers games in hot, summery conditions as well as snowy, freezing,
wintery conditions, and the atmosphere is no different between the two.
Steelers fans are passionate from the kickoff to the end of the fourth quarter,
cheering for their team, singing along to Renegade by Styx (the Steelers’ theme song), and waving their Terrible Towels. While
I’ve met Steelers fans from a lot of different places, I can assure you that
there’s no better place to find the truest Steelers fans than at Heinz Field
during a game.
While I’ve never been to a Panthers game, or Pitt game
as it’s more commonly referred to, I’ve heard that it’s a thrilling experience
as well. I was able to gain some firsthand knowledge of what goes on at a Pitt
game from a friend of my mom’s, who quite frequently attends Pitt games at
Heinz Field because her son is a member of the marching band. According to her,
Pitt games have quite a bit of energy – she described the energy level at a
game to be “somewhere between that of a high school game and that of a
professional game.” She said that it’s always great to see fans get pumped up
at the pre-game tailgates, and then to see them unleash their excitement and
energy during a game. Pitt’s
student section is also very passionate and very devoted to raising the energy throughout the entire stadium, which they do with the help of the cheerleaders and
the mascot who linger around the student section area. And Pitt’s marching
band, which is pretty well-known and well-respected, is another organization
that is devoted to raising the energy level. My mom’s friend knows a lot about
the band in particular because her seats are right next to their section. She
says the band is really good at getting the crowd pumped up because they play
almost throughout the entire game, regardless of which team has possession of
the ball at the time. This level of devotion is truly commendable; I’m a member
of the band at my university, and we only play when our team has possession of
the ball. She also said that in addition to getting the crowd motivated, the
band also serves as great entertainment in addition to the game itself,
especially at halftime when they take to the field. I’ve never been to a Pitt
game at Heinz Field or otherwise, and I don’t know too many people who have
either, but it certainly sounds like it’s an unforgettable experience.
In addition to being an amazing sports facility, Heinz
Field is also an amazing concert venue. A number of different artists have
performed here over the years, including Beyonce, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, One
Direction, U2, Taylor Swift, and more. Many of these artists, particularly
Taylor Swift and U2, have performed here more than once. While the Pittsburgh
area has many concert venues, most of them are indoors, which is why Heinz
Field is an ideal location for attending an outdoor concert. For this same
reason, many people travel from other towns to attend concerts here – one
example includes someone who traveled all the way from Atlanta, Georgia, to see
U2 in concert at Heinz Field and posted about their experience on TripAdvisor. There
aren’t as many concerts held at Heinz Field as there are at other Pittsburgh
venues throughout the year, so you should definitely check out a concert here
when you have a chance!
Didn’t get a chance to eat before going to an event at
Heinz Field? There are several different stands located throughout the entire stadium.
Whether you’re looking for a meal or just a small snack, they’ve got you
covered! You can get a variety of foods, including popcorn, nachos, pretzels,
sandwiches, chicken wings, chicken tenders, fries, and soda. If it’s cold outside,
I’d definitely recommend getting a hot meal as well as a hot beverage (coffee
or hot chocolate). My personal favorite thing to get at Heinz Field is the
fries, because you can pour as much vinegar as you want on them. But if you’re
craving something Pittsburgh-ish, stop by the Primanti Bros. stand for an
iconic Pittsburgh-style sandwich. You can’t go wrong when it comes to getting
food at Heinz Field.
Whether you’re looking to see a top-notch concert or
to see the Steelers or Panthers in action, you’re sure to have an unforgettable
experience at Heinz Field.
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