GMA Performance Details

Is the Bay Area ready for Britney?

We'd better be, since -- ready or not -- the 29-year-old megastar pop vocalist is headed our way. She's set to perform a free concert on Sunday in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood, which will then be aired two days later — on Tuesday — on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America."

Here's what you need to know if you plan on watching what could turn out to be the biggest local pop-culture event of the season:

Showtime: Brit Brit will take the stage at noon for a one-hour show. The concert -- or, at least, some portion of it will then be aired on Tuesday's "Good Morning America." The show runs 7-9 a.m. on ABC-TV (local affiliate is KGO).

Concert site: Spears will be performing on a stage erected in front of the historic Castro Theatre. The audience will assemble in a two-block section of Castro Street. Specifically, it will gather in the 400 and 500 blocks, which covers from Market to 19th streets. This area will be closed to traffic.

Cost: It's free, and admission will be granted the old-fashioned way -- first come, first served.

Crowd size: A capacity limit has not been set, according to the office of Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose district includes the Castro. The final say on the topic belongs to members of the San Francisco Police Department, who will be on site to determine when the crowd has reached an appropriate size. At that point, no more people will be allowed into the concert area.

When to arrive for concert: The gates will open at 9 a.m. Fans are being told to line up no earlier than 8 a.m. There's no official word, however, on just how that directive will be enforced.

Where to line up: There will be two entrances to the roped-off concert venue -- at the northwest and northeast corners of Castro and 18th (the 400 block of Castro). The 400 block will be filled first, and then organizers will begin populating the 500 block.

If you don't get in: The "official" performance space is that two-block area of Castro Street, but many others will enjoy the show from just beyond the "velvet" ropes. The concert will be heard, if not seen, from blocks away. So, expect to see fans on the sidewalk along the 600 block of Castro -- as well as further afield. And, of course, the concert will be broadcast on TV two days later, when you can easily find a prime spot on your couch.

Traffic impact: The 400 and 500 blocks of Castro, from Market to 19th streets, will be closed to traffic beginning at roughly midnight Saturday to 4 or 5 p.m. Sunday. Bus lines 24, 33, 35 and F will be rerouted during the closure.

Business impact: Businesses in the Castro will be open during the concert.

Why Britney is doing this: The Castro appearance is part of a major marketing blitz surrounding the singer's seventh studio album, "Femme Fatale," which hits stores Tuesday.

Why the Castro is doing this: It's good publicity for both San Francisco and the Castro, according to Wiener, since some 10 million people watch "Good Morning America."

Source: Mercury News