Mark your calendars. The official dates for when the 2026 NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh have been announced. After previously being named the host for next year’s draft, the city of Pittsburgh announced next year’s draft will be held on April 23-25.
VisitPittsburgh shared the news and added a countdown to its website while creating a fan guide from the hundreds of thousands of out-of-town fans expected to attend the three-day event.
It’s the first time in the modern era that the city of Pittsburgh is hosting the NFL Draft. It’s only happened once before in 1948, a far different era when the draft wasn’t nearly the marquee event it is today.
Per the VisitPittsburgh website, specific locations haven’t been released but there are more details about the event’s general location.
“The main portion of the event is expected to incorporate elements of Pittsburgh’s North Shore and Point State Park, as well as Acrisure Stadium, with a variety of venues to be utilized and activated within close proximity,” the organization said in a press release via 93.7 The Fan.
That’s consistent with what the team said when Pittsburgh was first announced as the host of next year’s draft last May.
Hosting the draft has been a goal of Art Rooney II and Pittsburgh for years. They beat out several other cities, including Denver and Charlotte, to serve as host city in 2026. Pittsburgh was chosen for several reasons, including the city’s passion for football and its central location to several other NFL cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.
Since the NFL began moving the draft location around the country instead of Radio City Music Hall in New York each year, interest has only grown. Over 775,000 fans attended the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, a number that could grow in the coming years. Pittsburgh mayor Ed Gainey has stated he expects at least one million fans to attend the draft in Pittsburgh next year.
Hopefully, the Steelers aren’t making their first choice until the final pick of the first round.
