D.C. sets 1M attendance goal for '27 NFL Draft

Field Level Media
28 Apr 2026, 01:35 GMT+10

(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Washington, D.C., is coming for the draft attendance record set by Pittsburgh over the weekend.

The D.C.-based NFL draft in 2027 already has a goal of having a combined three-day attendance figure of 1 million fans on the National Mall.

The draft has been in D.C. before, but not since 1940 at the Willard Hotel.

The NFL centered its annual draft in New York at Radio City Music Hall for decades before opting for a rotating, traveling annual draft stage that made its most recent stop in Pittsburgh last week. It was the 11th city selected to host the draft since 1965.

The league announced a record-breaking attendance mark for the event which runs Thursday-Saturday each year.

'We are excited to bring the 2027 Draft to Washington, D.C., a city rich in history and national pride. With the support of President Trump, the Commanders, Events DC, and Mayor (Muriel) Bowser we're looking forward to delivering an unforgettable experience as we celebrate the next generation of NFL stars,' commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

Pittsburgh now has the largest total attendance in NFL draft history with 805,000 attendees over three days -- 30,000 more than Detroit in 2024 -- and the record for Thursday, or opening day, with 320,000 fans.

Among cities which have stated interest in hosting the 2028 draft are Minneapolis and Buffalo.

--Field Level Media

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