At least 50,000 fans braved a wet Saturday in Halifax to see the Rolling Stones play the largest rock concert in the city's history.

The Stones headlined the music festival being held in Halifax Commons, which also featured performances by hometown indie rockers Sloan, Alice Cooper, and rap artist Kanye West.

Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones perform in the rain on the Commons in Halifax on Saturday.
Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press

Earlier in the day, a light rain fell as thousands snaked through security and on to the large inner-city park.

The rain continued to fall as Sloan played, but it eased just as Mick Jagger and the band took the stage.  

Packed city

The record-breaking concert came as Halifax was already crowded, with four cruiseships docked in the harbour and a NHL pre-season game being played Saturday in the city. Bars were permitted to stay open until 4:30 a.m. to accommodate the concert's revellers.

There were concerns that thousands of fans, a massive steel stage and dozens of tractor-trailers would chew up the sports fields in the Commons.

It took more than 100 roadies about a week to set up 78 tractor-trailer loads of equipment.

Organizers expressed surprise at the amount of opposition to the show, mostly from those who live near the site and complained about the noise and congestion it would create.

Others felt it was inappropriate for a money-making venture to be held in a public space, and some criticized the $240,000 provided by the provincial and municipal governments for extra security and post-concert cleanup.

Joe Doucette, a 54-year-old Stones fan from Dartmouth, had little patience for the critics.

"I grew up in this area, five minutes from here — just get a life," Doucette said between performances as he took cover from the rain beneath one of the grandstands.

With files from the Canadian Press