A record number of people attended the first day of the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The league said the city broke the Round 1 attendance record with more than 320,000 fans. The previous record was set by Detroit in 2024, when more than 275,000 fans attended on Day 1. Detroit still holds the record for the three-day event, after more than 700,000 people were in attendance two years ago. 

In the Steel City on Thursday, the Draft Theater on the North Shore outside Acrisure Stadium reached capacity around 8:30 p.m, as fans were told to head to the stadium to watch the first round of the draft. The city said it expected 500,000 to 700,000 people to be in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the draft. 

The NFL said 600,000 people attended the 2025 draft over three days in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 

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