NFL Draft, PicksBURGH, and Community Impact: Pittsburgh Delivers on Every Stage
NFL Draft, PicksBURGH, youth impact, and major events—Pittsburgh shines with 500K+ fans, citywide energy, and sports-driven momentum.
A Message from Jim Britt
Vice President, Sports Events -- SportsPITTSBURGH
The NFL Draft is here. Years of planning come to life April 23–25 as more than 500,000 fans descend on Pittsburgh for one of the biggest events in sports.
Set against the North Shore and outside Acrisure Stadium, the Draft brings three days of high-energy moments—from the No. 1 overall pick to key decisions by the local Pittsburgh Steelers under new head coach Mike McCarthy.
Beyond the stage, the city transforms. From the North Shore to Downtown, fans will experience a festival atmosphere showcasing Pittsburgh’s energy, local businesses, award-winning culinary and craft beverage scenes, and a wide array of arts and culture, offering something for every fan of every team.
Across Pittsburgh, the City of Champions is abuzz, as our Pirates sit atop the NL Central, the Pens take on the Flyers in a first-round playoff matchup, and the Riverhounds have opened the regular season in defense of their USL Championship title at Highmark Stadium.
At the same time, SportsPITTSBURGH continues to deliver. Recent efforts include hosting the 2026 NCAA Women’s Bowling Regionals for the fourth consecutive year, attending Sports ETA in Las Vegas to further showcase Pittsburgh as a future host destination, and supporting a pair of large-scale boys and girls youth basketball tournaments at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which brought more than 25,000 attendees over back-to-back weekends.
We’re also investing in what’s next by partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania as they launch a new sports management council, connecting local teens to careers in sports and tourism.
It’s a significant lift in a short window—but delivering at scale is what we do. We remain committed to supporting our partners and forging impact through sports.
“PicksBURGH” Celebration to Accompany NFL Draft and Showcase Pittsburgh’s Culture and Neighborhoods
As anticipation for the 2026 NFL Draft, presented by Bud Light, reached a fever pitch in early April, VisitPITTSBURGH announced a series of Downtown celebrations designed to accompany the megaevent and spotlight the region’s culture, support local businesses, and add to what will no doubt be an unforgettable fan experience.
Anchored in and around the North Shore and Downtown core, “PicksBURGH” will transform the city into a vibrant, walkable festival, inviting visitors and locals alike to explore Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, discover its small businesses, and experience its incredible energy.
“PicksBURGH is about more than hosting the draft, it’s about putting Pittsburgh’s people, places and personality on full display,” said Jerad Bachar, President & CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “From live music and local flavors to immersive street-level experiences, we’re creating moments that will encourage fans to explore, stay longer, and support the businesses that make our region special.”
One of the highlights promises to be the PicksBURGH Music Crawl on Wednesday, April 22 (the day before the draft gets underway), which will bring the city’s nightlife and live music scene to life across Downtown. Participating bars, restaurants, and other venues will host local musicians and performers, creating a high-energy, multi-stop experience that encourages fans to explore Pittsburgh while supporting local establishments.
The PicksBURGH Music Crawl will begin at 4:45 p.m. at Market Square, and the evening-long event will extend to more than a dozen venues throughout the city -- the August Wilson African-American Cultural Center and Con Alma (Downtown), The Original Pittsburgh Winery (Strip District), Club Café (South Side), Park House (North Side) and Thunderbird Café (Lawrenceville) among them. From acoustic sets to full-band performances, the crawl will highlight the depth of Pittsburgh’s vibrant music scene.
Another exciting aspect of “PicksBURGH” festivities will be the Pitt Block Party at Arts Landing -- a free, three-day (April 23-25) fan-friendly celebration in the heart of the Cultural District Downtown that will be hosted by University of Pittsburgh Athletics and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
The first major event to take place at the new four-acre civic space will offer an immersive experience that celebrates Pitt’s storied football history and pipeline to the NFL that has included legendary players such as Mike Ditka, Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino, Larry Fitzgerald, Aaron Donald and many others. The Pitt Block Party will also include live music, food trucks, a dedicated activity zone, and much more.
Also adding to the excitement, P3R will host the PicksBURGH Draft Day 5K on Saturday, April 25. The race will invite local residents and visiting fans to run or walk through the North Shore and Downtown, crossing iconic bridges and taking in Pittsburgh’s skyline, all while immersed in the energy of one of the city’s biggest sporting events. The course will begin on the North Shore, travel across the 16th Street Bridge, wind through Downtown, and finish steps away from the official NFL Draft Experience at Point State Park.
The race will begin at 8:00 a.m., and upon finishing, participants can seamlessly transition into draft day programming that will include fan activations, interactive exhibits and other celebrations.
Connecting all the “PicksBURGH” activities and festivities will be a thoughtfully programmed pedestrian pathway linking Downtown to the North Shore draft footprint. Designed as more than just a route, the walkway will come alive with nearly 100 local street performers, larger-than-life photo moments and wayfinding elements, creating a uniquely Pittsburgh experience every step of the way.
Fans are encouraged to walk the route not only for its scenic and entertaining atmosphere, but also for the opportunity to discover shops, restaurants and small businesses, while driving meaningful economic impact across the city.
“By designing a highly walkable experience filled with local character, we’re making it easy, and exciting, for fans to explore beyond the main stage,” Bachar added. “Every step is an opportunity to connect with Pittsburgh and contribute to its local economy.”
New Partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs Already Making Positive Impact
While preparations for the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships were underway, SportsPITTSBURGH stepped into a new partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pa. As part of that, the Boys & Girls Clubs introduced a sports management council designed to give teens the opportunity to learn about sports, sports tourism and career paths in the industry, while also providing hands-on involvement.
SportsPITTSBURGH and PennWest Clarion University co-hosted the championships March 24-28 at Duquesne’s University’s UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The competition included the top eight teams in the country on both the men’s and women’s sides. SportsPITTSBURGH served as the tournament director, leading the operations, marketing and ticket sales, hospitality, community engagement and other efforts.
Prior to the tournament, the SportsPITTSBURGH team attended a session of the sports management council to share valuable insight into the type of work the organization does. That was followed by a behind-the-scenes tour for the youngsters from the Boys & Girls Clubs that highlighted the many aspects of hosting a national championship.
“We have different pathways for teens to learn about various careers, and with Pittsburgh being such a great sports city, it was fitting that we started the sports management council,” said Liz Stieg, Sports Manager at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pa. “The idea started in the fall, just working through things, and what it would look like. That was around the time our talks with SportsPITTSBURGH picked up, and when we formed more of a formal partnership, we kicked that off with the sports management council in March.
“Then the natural progression was, ‘Hey, we have an elite tournament coming up, let’s get our kids involved in that.’ And SportsPITTSBURGH was super accommodating. They gave us a behind-the-scenes tour to see where things take place. They connected us with different people that work in sports, from athletic directors to athletic trainers to coaches and others. The kids were able to see how a high-level event is run and what all the moving parts are. It was phenomenal.”
Stieg was quick to point out that the sports management council is still in its infancy, but she’s excited about the possibilities that lie ahead as the program evolves, with SportsPITTSBURGH alongside.
“The biggest thing about the program is trying to show the kids all the different career paths you can have in sports, and it’s no longer either you have to play or you have to coach,” she said. “When we kicked off the initiative in March, the first thing we wanted to do was get a better idea of what SportsPITTSBURGH does. All the different events and how they come to Pittsburgh, the bidding. They talked about how they use sports to get people to come to our city, and the kids were very interested in that.
“This is a perfect partnership for our kids. The program is brand new, but the sky is the limit. SportsPITTSBURGH has really gone above and beyond in making sure the sports management council has gotten off to a great start.”
