It’s unclear what direction the Pittsburgh Steelers will go in during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but what became clear Tuesday is what the 2026 NFL Draft will look like in Pittsburgh, at least from a layout perspective, on the North Shore.
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Abigail Hakas, the main stage for the 2026 NFL Draft will be outside of Acrisure Stadium, while Point State Park across the Allegheny River will host an NFL Draft festival.
Steelers Nation will be taking over Point State Park, the anticipated venue of a free fan festival known as the NFL Draft Experience, documents show.https://t.co/dmQnQZDKab
— Tribune-Review Sports (@TribSports) March 18, 2025
The NFL and the city of Pittsburgh announced in late January that the 2026 NFL Draft will be held from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh on the North Shore.
VisitPittsburgh shared the news of the dates of the NFL Draft and added a countdown to its website while creating a guide for the hundreds of thousands of out-of-town fans expected to attend the three-day event.
At that time, the exact location of draft festivities was unknown, but now it’s clear what the draft will look like in Pittsburgh next April.
The main stage location, where draft picks are announced, will be outside Acrisure Stadium, Nicki Ewell, senior director of events for the NFL, told the Tribune-Review.
According to the Tribune-Review, two locations on the North Shore, a stretch of the riverfront and parking lots near Acrisure Stadium, are being given to the NFL rent-free, according to two letters of commitment obtained by Next Generation Newsroom through Right-to-Know requests. All three letters of commitment were signed in February 2024.
“Over the next year, there will be coordination between the NFL and local partners, including VisitPittsburgh and the Local Organizing Committee, as event details like site location and activities get planned,” said Cecelia Cagni, director of corporate communications for the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Hakas’ reporting for the Tribune-Review. “As an organization, we continue to be excited for the 2026 NFL Draft and know many sports fans are as well.”
Next April will mark the first time in the modern era that Pittsburgh hosts the NFL Draft. It’s only happened once before in 1948.
Safe to say, the NFL Draft and the hype around the event has changed drastically since the few years after World War II.
Hosting the draft is something the Steelers and the city have been pursuing in recent years. The NFL announced last May 22 that the Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh would host the 2026 NFL Draft.
For years, the popular two- and now three-day event was held in New York City at Radio City Music Hall. But starting in 2015 the NFL began moving it around, holding the draft in Chicago, Philadelphia, Arlington, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and most recently Detroit.
The 2025 NFL Draft will be held next month in Green Bay.
