Behind-the-scenes look at Pittsburgh's NFL Draft footprint shows fans what to expect

Steve Farago had a vision as he stood in a parking lot on the North Shore two years ago.

After visiting the site nearly a dozen times, he conceptualized how the NFL Draft could showcase Pittsburgh and celebrate football.

"Clearly that vision has come to life," Mr. Farago, the NFL's director of event operations said in front of the Draft Theater on the North Shore on Wednesday afternoon as the city prepares to host the three-day event starting Thursday.

"It's taking those core elements of the draft and then layering them in with what the city has to offer."

On Thursday, the expected hundreds of thousands of visitors to Downtown and the North Shore will begin to converge along the three rivers for the draft, an opportunity officials have capitalized on as a means to sell Pittsburgh to the world.

Workers prepare signage inside the NFL Draft Theater on Wednesday.(Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)

"We are very excited about this," Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor said during a media tour of the draft footprint Wednesday at Point State Park. "We encourage all Steelers fans to come down here [and] all Pittsburghers."

The draft campus on the North Shore and Point State Park spans nearly 4 million square feet, or the equivalent of 68 football fields, Mr. Farago said.

Crews were putting the finishing touches on both sites - which are separated by the Allegheny River - on Wednesday. While crowds pack into draft experience here, millions will also tune to broadcasts around the world.

The Draft Theater

The dome-shaped NFL Draft Theater beside Acrisure Stadium along Art Rooney Avenue took about a month to construct, Mr. Farago said. Round 1 begins at 8 p.m. Thursday, rounds 2 and 3 start at 7 p.m. Friday and rounds 4-7 begin at noon Saturday.

Attendees will stand in the parking lot in front of it, while a select few will be seated under the stage's yellow and blue neon lights as the 32 NFL teams make their draft picks Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Nods to Pittsburgh stand out on the stage, with replicas of the city's iconic yellow sister bridges and Andy Warhol-inspired pop art NFL Draft graphics playing on 1,300 LED video panels.

The interior of the NFL Draft Theater includes replicas of the city's bridges.(Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)

"My job is to basically transform this city and use it as a canvas to celebrate you," said Chris Stackhouse, NFL vice president of creative and design. "To create a stage that's a love letter to what's literally building and connecting this town."

Backstage, workers were still nailing up tin logos of each NFL team, art pieces that were made by Pittsburgh artist Kim Fox, who has produced murals and exhibited her art around the city.

The Steelers logo she created was made from steel.

Artist Kim Fox speaks about her artwork, featuring city maps integrated with team logos, which line the walkway from the green room to the NFL Draft theater stage.(Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)

"I do love the idea of repurposing old things and … making them beautiful," Ms. Fox said. "Pittsburgh is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen, and a lot of that has to do with the old steel."

Seventeen draft prospects who are expected to attend in person will sit on couches and chairs inside a green room backstage while they wait to be drafted. The others who will be part of the 257-player draft class will tune in from elsewhere, spending their weekend with friends, family, coaches and teammates.

A view of the green room behind the NFL Draft Theater.(Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)

Thirty-two helmets mounted on steel panels hang on the wall in the green room. Once drafted, the players will sign their name on their team's helmet.

"This way it's a piece of history," said Burton Morris, a Pittsburgh-based pop artist who created the green room art installation. "A work of art that will live forever."

Artist Burton Morris talks about his artwork, featured in the green room behind the NFL Draft Theater.(Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)

The fan experience

On the Acrisure Stadium field, fans can participate in clinics, try to kick field goals and open sealed trading cards. There will also be activities for fans throughout the North Shore, including vertical jump, an opportunity to try on NFL gear and displays at an NFL Museum.

The field will be open for fans to watch the NFL Draft selections.

"[It's] something we're really excited about, something we've never done before," said Nicki Ewell, vice president of NFL events.

NFL Draft attendees will be able to watch draft selections from the field at Acrisure Stadium.(Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)

Fans can cross Roberto Clemente Bridge to get to Point State Park, the site of a free fan festival called the NFL Draft Experience, which opens at noon Thursday and Friday and at 9 a.m. Saturday. The pedestrian walkway on the Fort Pitt Duquesne Bridge connecting Downtown and the North Shore will be closed.

The Gateway Clipper is also available for fans to cross the Allegheny River on Friday and Saturday, boasting views of Acrisure Stadium, the sister bridges and the Point State Park fountain.

The fountain will serve as a backdrop for a 250-square-foot red carpet, where the 17 prospects in attendance will appear before hunkering down in the green room on the North Shore.

"All 17 will have their moment, as they are about to get into this incredible journey at the NFL," said Amanda Dombrowski, NFL manager of event operations. "It's one of our largest carpets that we've done to date."

Crews set up the red carpet area of the NFL Draft in Point State Park on Wednesday.(Lindsay Shachnow/Post-Gazette)

Crews on Wednesday were still putting the finishing touches on the festival at Point State Park that features food stands, photo opportunities and other activities for fans. Workers had arrived on Sunday to set up the red carpet, which took roughly 40 to 50 hours to put together, Ms. Dombrowski said.

Under a "Steelers Country" archway, dozens of terrible towels billowed in the wind. Inside, a bar and fan cave with pieces of retro Steelers memorabilia overlook six Vince Lombardi trophies on the other side of the park.

Food and other vendors will line Point State Park during the draft.(Lindsay Shachnow/Post-Gazette)

Several local food vendors line the park - and they will keep all of their revenue from the event, Ms. Ewell said.

Next to the vendors, current and former NFL players will appear on the autograph stage, as fans kick field goals and compete in a 40-yard dash in the park on the opposite side of the Fort Duquesne Bridge.

The Steelers are well-represented in Point State Park as part of the NFL Draft footprint.(Lindsay Shachnow/Post-Gazette)

Mr. Farago said the city's rivers and bridges stood out when officials were deciding on where to host the draft.

But that also meant that for the first time in history, the draft campus will be separated by a body of water.

"We look at what might be perceived as a challenge and try to turn that into an opportunity," he said. "We can show both sides of the city."

"I'm ready to get going."

NFL Draft signage is seen from the field of Acrisure Stadium on Wednesday.(Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette)

A hotel-sized billboard

A light show, the first of its kind in draft history, will be projected onto the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh overlooking Point State Park on a continuous loop from 8 p.m. through midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The show will be projected on 40,000 square feet of screen covering 578 hotel windows, organizers say. The top draft picks, legacy of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the heritage of Western Pennsylvania will be showcased in the eight-minute-long show.

Months of planning went into creating the show, involving laser scans that provided a 3D model of the building, producers said.

Hotel guests were asked to close their curtains while the lights are operating and received text alerts and given a letter notifying them about the projection, said Chris Stackhouse, NFL vice president of creative and design.

"We're all team players here," he said. "And I can guarantee you that most of the folks in those rooms are probably out working hard to bring the draft to life, or very well aware of being part of making something special like this happen."

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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 11:16 PM.