We say it all the time around here: Pittsburgh is a great city to visit for sports. PNC Park, Acrisure, PPG Paints, Pirates, Steelers, Pens … we absolutely love it. And now the scheduling gods have given us another reason to hop on a plane to the Steel City: the NFL Draft !!!
The NFL announced this week that the 2026 version of the draft would be in Pittsburgh, following the 2025 draft in Green Bay. Once upon a time this event was always held in New York City, but in 2015 the NFL decided to try their hand on a different location, hosting it in Chicago. It was such a huge success that they held it in Chicago again the following year, and then realized that the draft had become such a popular draw that it should be moved around the country, much like awarding the Super Bowl. The difference: in April there are plenty of cities with great weather who can host this sort of spectacle.
And a spectacle it has become: the attendance has gone through the roof. This past April in Detroit, the attendance was estimated to be 700,000 people over the course of the three day event. Of course these are estimated numbers; since this isn’t a ticketed event, they can’t know the exact numbers for certain. But even at the low end 160,000 people in Cleveland, you’re still talking about a ridiculously large crowd gathered to watch a sporting event that isn’t even a game!
| HOST CITY | YEAR | ATTENDANCE |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 2015 | 200,000 |
| Chicago | 2016 | 225,000 |
| Philadelphia | 2017 | 250,000 |
| Dallas | 2018 | 200,000 |
| Nashville | 2019 | 600,000 |
| Cleveland | 2021 | 160,000 |
| Las Vegas | 2022 | 300,000 |
| Kansas City | 2023 | 312,000 |
| Detroit | 2024 | 775,000 |
So what can we expect for Pittsburgh? Well, probably the largest single attendance event in the city’s history. Not only is Pittsburgh within driving distance to ten of the NFL’s home cities (including, of course, Pittsburgh), but it’s a place that has long been a destination for sports fans.
Specific dates won’t be known for a while yet, and it’s far too early to be booking hotel reservations anyway. We will keep you posted as details are announced around this. With any luck, maybe there will be a Pirates game either during or before/after the draft, and Pittsburgh is an easy drive to multiple MLB stadiums and other attractions, including:
| TEAM | BALLPARK / CITY | DISTANCE FROM PITTSBURGH |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | Great American Ballpark | 288 miles |
| Detroit Tigers | Comerica Park | 285 miles |
| Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | 133 miles |
| Washington Nationals | Nats Park | 248 miles |
| Camden Yards | Baltimore Orioles | 248 miles |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame | Akron, Ohio | 102 miles |
