WASHINGTON — Fans wanting to see country music legend Garth Brooks were in for a rude awakening Friday morning, as tickets for his highly anticipated shows in Baltimore sold out in minutes.

The tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. The demand was so high for his first two shows — on Jan. 29 and 30 — that Brooks’ team added another three shows — on Jan. 22 and 23. All the shows take place at Royal Farms Arena.

A promoter with Varnell Enterprises called a WTOP reporter and said the company is still selling tickets to each of its shows. “We’ll let you know if anything sells out,” said the promoter, who didn’t respond to further phone calls.

Brooks will play the shows with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. It’s Brooks’ first appearance in Maryland in 19 years, since he played a series of shows at USAir Arena in Landover from April 2 – 6, 1996.

Go to the Ticketmaster website to buy tickets. Call 1-800-745-3000 to purchase tickets by phone.

There is a limit of eight tickets per person. Tickets are roughly $66, not including service charges and facility fees.