Sugarland to Play Free Benefit Concert in Honor of Stage Collapse Victims

By Corey Davis, Christian Post Contributor Friday, October 07, 2011

Country group Sugarland announced Friday that the band will perform a free benefit concert in Indianapolis. The concert will be in honor of the seven victims who perished in the stage collapse in August.

The band was just about to play during the Indiana State Fair, when a strong gust of wind collapsed the stage onto the crowd. Five fans, a security guard, and a stagehand died. Forty fans were injured, some seriously.

The band announced that the concert on Oct. 28 would be played at Conseco Field and feature special guest performers.

Sugarland will give first priority for the concert to all fans that had tickets during the August 13th stage collapse. In addition, any fans sitting in the pit where the stage collapsed will have access to ground floor seating.

After priority tickets are distributed to State Fair fans, the general public will have access to receive up to four tickets per family.

The band will also be collecting donations at the concert for an assistance fund for the victims of the collapse. This comes after fair officials announced that families of those killed would be eligible to claim $35,000 from the fund.

The state of Indiana announced that they are offering $5 million towards the payment of legal fees occurred by collapse victims. Fifty claims have been filed thus far.

The free concert comes a month after a victim’s family of the collapse filed a lawsuit against State Fair organizers and Sugarland.

Tickets for attendees at the State Fair will be available starting on Oct. 10, and the remaining tickets will be free for the general public on Oct. 15.