INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis officials are preparing for more than 100,000 people to visit downtown this weekend for events leading up to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Setup is underway on Monument Circle's north spoke for Playoff Playlist Live!, which will open at 5 p.m. Friday.
Hip hop star Doja Cat and pop trio AJR will perform on the stage Saturday, while fans can see rock band Twenty One Pilots and pop singer Ava Max on Sunday.
Gates will open both days at 5 p.m. and space will be first-come, first-served. Screens will also be set up for viewing on Georgia Street.
PREVIOUS | Doja Cat, AJR, Twenty One Pilots highlight College Football Playoff concerts in Indianapolis
On Jan. 10, the Capitol One State at Allstate Championship Tailgate will feature concerts with country star Sam Hunt and singer-songwriter Breland. Gates will open at noon.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Commander Brian Mahone said traffic will be restricted on Washington Street between Illinois and Pennsylvania streets from about 3-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
"We're [officers] in the crowd to kind of get a feel for what we're seeing. If we have to we have a vent release so that we can move people away from the stage or away from the venue. And also we have just a couple of emergency exits," Mahone said.
Mahone asked that people not camp out in advance of the concerts. He added that there are no ticket sales for the concerts and all tickets for Monday's championship game are digital.
People entering through the south spoke for concerts can expect to pass through advanced metal detectors known as magnetometers, Mahone said. IMPD plans to have officers on foot, bike and horseback, but Mahone said the department does not want it to "look like a military zone."
Law enforcement will monitor everything from traffic patterns to crowd sizes in an established command center.
Fans can also participate in interactive activities at Playoff Fan Central located in the Indiana Convention Center from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday.
Alabama will face Georgia in the CFP National Championship Game at 8:15 p.m. Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Learn more about events happening this weekend here.
