Fans pack Busch infield for Flo Rida

By the time the last fan left the ballpark late Friday in St. Louis, Flo Rida could stake the same claim as a cadre of Cardinals legends from Yadier Molina to Albert Pujols: they've all delivered some of their best hits on the field at Busch.

Yes, we're talking that Flo Rida – whose chart-topping songs (think "Low" and "Wild Ones") and massive online following have helped make him one of social media's most popular artists.

The Cardinals wrapped up the debut season of their postgame concert series with Flo Rida's performance Friday following the club's 3-0 victory over the Padres. It was the best deal around on a weekend in The Lou: one ticket gave fans access to the game (which included the Friday Night Live tradition of $5 beer and $5 hot dogs in Budweiser Terrace) and the concert. Within less than 40 minutes of the final out, the stadium transformed from baseball heaven to concert city, with a stage positioned just beyond the infield dirt.

From there, it was Flo's show. "St. Louis, make some noise!" he called out from the stage.

And they did. They cheered. They danced. All of Busch Stadium belted "Low," even singing a capella at one point when cued by the artist, who frequently pulled groups of fans onstage to sing with him throughout the show and also made several trips into the crowds. Fans who purchased VIP passes were able to watch the setlist from the infield, where less than an hour earlier players like Nolan Arenado and Masyn Winn were patrolling on defense.

Even the logistics Friday were show-stopping.

Behind the scenes, around 30 Cardinals front office employees helped thread gigantic pieces of the stage – supported by turf-friendly tires and engineered to ensure no damage to the playing field – through the stadium's underground tunnels to a holding area as they waited for the game to conclude. Following the final out, the stage was wheeled onto the field, assembly completed, areas of the field prepped (thanks to the Cardinals grounds crew) and Flo Rida ready to rock before 40 minutes had passed.

The optimized process was due to the Cardinals' partnership this season with Ballpark Music, which works with 14 other MLB clubs in a similar capacity and had staff onsite Friday to handle the primary setup duties.

"When (our stage) comes off the field, we want to make sure they can play a game not just the next day, but 10 minutes later, if they have to," explains BPM's president Brandon Bissell of the way the stage is designed to protect the turf during the process.

Back in 2008, Bissell had helped initiate a postgame concert experience while in the Braves’ front office, drawing on his prior knowledge as a point of contact for the Thanksgiving Day halftime show when he worked for the Detroit Lions. The concept with the Braves was so successful that other teams began inquiring how to replicate the experience, and Bissell eventually formed his own company, which also handled the on-field production elements for MLB’s All-Star festivities this year.

The Cardinals began working during last offseason to bring the postgame concert experience to St. Louis and, in conjunction with BPM, launched their first such show this June featuring Cole Swindell (VIP passes sold out).

"The Cardinals are one of those teams that are just iconic in the sport," Bissell notes. "So the fact (that we're able to come here) and do this in St. Louis, to me, is really cool."

Overall, the Cardinals feel their inaugural postgame concerts series – which was sponsored this year by SIUE – proved successful enough that they're already considering another one for 2026.

As Flo Rida would say, it'd be a home run, St. Louis.

Photo credit: Taka Yanagimoto/St. Lous Cardinals