Promoters are looking for 15,000 more Rolling Stones fans, two days before the British rockers hit the stage in Halifax.

The company promoting Saturday's concert has been reluctant to comment on ticket sales, but on Thursday, Donald K Donald announced that more than 45,000 have been sold.

The Rolling Stones are taking over the Halifax Common this Saturday.
(Geoff Doane/CBC)

Their goal was 60,000.

Donald Tarlton, with Donald K Donald, said one explanation could be the fact the Stones played in the Maritimes last fall.

An estimated crowd of 80,000 gathered at Moncton's Magnetic Hill to see the rockers, their first time ever in Atlantic Canada.

In Halifax, Tarlton said, "total 1,000 per cent wow factor didn't engulf us early on."

He said the early buzz was about $100,000 of taxpayers' money being spent on municipal services connected with the show.

'Like the Super Bowl'

"We ran into some political problems and we ran into some negativity off the top, which was something we are not used to dealing with," Tarlton said.

"When people get an opportunity to see the Rolling Stones, and the Rolling Stones come to town, it's like the Super Bowl is coming to town."

Hundreds of workers have spent the last few days piecing together the eight-storey stage in the Halifax Common. Dozens of big trucks surround the park, and several streets have already been shut down.

The Halifax Regional Municipality has set aside $100,000 for extra policing and cleanup. The provincial government has contributed another $140,000.

The promoters say the Rolling Stones bring between $10 million and $15 million to the economy of every city they play in.

Sloan, Alice Cooper and Kanye West are opening for the British group.