Ohio health regulators will allow 55,000 people each day at the NFL Draft in Cleveland, including about 50,000 at the NFL Draft Experience fan expo and nearly another 5,000 in the stage area itself, the league said today. Some additional tickets are being made available today to reach that threshold. It is the first time the league or Cleveland hosts have given a capacity figure for the April 29-May 1 Draft, which officials have long promoted as a “large, live, in-person event.” Along with the 50,000 people allowed each day at the expo, another 4,000-5,000 fully vaccinated fans will be permitted into seats or standing room space in or near the Draft stage. The total Draft footprint is about 2.5 million square feet. NFL Head of Live Events Production & Operations Jon Barker said the capacity was determined by starting with the total number of people who could safely occupy that space during normal times, and then backing out enough people that CDC-required social distancing is possible. Each day will include three attendance sessions for the Draft experience.
