Free concerts and a watch party near Buckingham Fountain will be on offer Thursday.
A series of free concerts and activities at Grant Park will accompany the Bears-Packers game as part of the NFL’s kickoff for the 2019 regular season. The festivities begin at noon CT and wrap up in the evening with a watch party in the park for those who don’t have tickets to attend Soldier Field.
Shows by Meek Mill and Meghan Trainor highlight the pregame events near Buckingham Fountain on Thursday. The league also says there will be interactive experiences and opportunities to get autographs from Bears greats Richard Dent, Charles Tillman, Matt Forte and Jim McMahon.
Following the completion of Meek Mill’s performance, fans will be welcomed to stay in the park for a watch party of the Bears-Packers game, which the league says will be shown on massive screens throughout the park.
Expect heavy traffic in the area in the lead up to the game – the team says fans should arrive at Soldier Field at least three hours in advance – but for those without tickets, this sounds like a fun alternative to enjoy a day of football around other fans.
12 p.m. – Park opens
3 p.m. – Live performance by Rapsody
4 p.m. – EA Madden Crown Cup Finals
5:15 p.m. – Live performance by Meghan Trainor
6:25 p.m. – Live performance by Meek Mill
7 p.m. – Bears-Packers watch party
