The inside of Acrisure Stadium was just as populated as the outside lots. As it got later in the day and closer to the Draft’s official kickoff at 8 p.m., empty seats filled. Officials ended up having to cut folks off as crowds swelled to more than 320,000, according to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The 2026 NFL Draft is officially underway after more than a year of anticipation, and the North Shore is abuzz with excitement.
The event footprint spans the North Shore, Point State Park, Market Square and the newly minted Arts Landing, with a series of additional pop-ups and activations throughout the Cultural District.
The sheer number of teams represented on the jerseys of Draftgoers could be its own Bingo card. Aside from the occasional trash talk — all in good fun, of course — things seemed pretty civil.
If you’re planning to do it all, you may also want to plan to visit more than once; we spent about six hours on the North Shore and made it through about 75% of what they had to offer there — and that’s not counting the Draft experiences at the other three locations.
From face paint to patterned overalls, and sometimes both, fans held nothing back when choosing their outfits for the day.
Here is a boots-on-the ground look at the North Shore on Thursday, April 23. It may seem empty in some pictures, and for a little while, it was. We got there around noon, and while the 99N Football Flyer we took into town from the Ross park-and-ride had us packed in like sardines, the venue itself was rather light on the crowds. But by the time we were heading out around 6 p.m., the lines were long, the music was loud and the atmosphere was electric.
Most fans attempted to kick a field goal from the farthest point, which was about 30 yards. How hard could it be? (Hint: very.)
According to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, a record-breaking 320,000 people attended Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh — so many that officials had to cut off access to the North Shore at one point. Were you one of them?
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The lines to enter the Draft Experience at Ton Dorsett Drive were pretty short when we got there around noon, but by the time we were leaving, the line snaked around the block. Entry is pretty straightforward; you go through a metal detector and empty your pockets if you beep. I thought they might scan the QR code I was assigned in the NFL OnePass app, but not yet.
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PHOTO BY OLLIE GRATZINGER
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Aside from the most dedicate Draft viewers, the lot was surprisingly empty for the first few hours, and there were no lines for concessions or restrooms. But as the day went on, fans spilled in.
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PHOTO BY OLLIE GRATZINGER | ARMED GUARDS ON PATROL INSIDE THE DRAFT FOOTPRINT
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The sheer number of teams represented on the jerseys of Draftgoers could be its own Bingo card. Aside from the occasional trash talk — all in good fun, of course — things seemed pretty civil.
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It may have been 80 degrees, but that didn't stop fans from showing up in their Game Day Best.
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From face paint to patterned overalls, and sometimes both, fans held nothing back when choosing their outfits for the day.
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Drinking at the Draft will cost you. A tall boy can of an American beer like Bud Light, one of the event's sponsors, is going for $19.75. If you want something fancier, you'll pay more than $20. A bottle of water was $7. One of the vendors apologetically told me they have to take the cap to prevent full, heavy bottles from being thrown as projectiles.
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Heinz is sponsoring the 57th Draft pick, and its touch can be seen throughout the experience on the North Shore.
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Large-scale helmets representing each of the NFL's 32 teams became a popular photo-op, although one team's in particular was significantly more in-demand...
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Of course, fans had to stop to take pictures with a local celebrity!
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PHOTO BY OLLIE GRATZINGER | ONCE INSIDE THE DRAFT FOOTPRINT, FANS DID NOT LEAVE TO EXPLORE OTHER PITTSBURGH NEIGHBORHOODS.
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Most fans attempted to kick a field goal from the farthest point, which was about 30 yards. How hard could it be? (Hint: very.)
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The inside of Acrisure Stadium was just as populated as the outside lots. As it got later in the day and closer to the Draft's official kickoff at 8 p.m., empty seats filled. Officials ended up having to cut folks off as crowds swelled to more than 320,000, according to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
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PHOTOS BY OLLIE GRATZINGER
