Football fans, rejoice!
The 2015 NFL Draft will be held in Chicago from Thursday, April 30 through Saturday, May 2. Several components of the Draft will be housed in the historic Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University while a fan festival, Draft Town presented by Oikos Triple Zero, will expand outside to Grant Park and Congress Plaza for a 900,000 square foot celebration of the Draft. During this event, the NFL will bring unprecedented free fan experiences, flag football competitions, musical entertainment, autograph sessions and more to the host city of Chicago. The Draft will take place at Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, and for the first time, will expand outside to adjacent parks.
The Rounds: Round 1 festivities on April 30 will include incoming prospects walking the red carpet on Michigan Avenue before heading into the theatre for the start of the Draft. Thirty-two former players from the NFL Legends community, one representing each team, will be on hand for Round 2 presented by Bud Light and Round 3 to announce selections on May 1. On May 2, Rounds 4 – 7 will mark another Draft innovation. The event will take place outside at Selection Square and in locations across the country. Teams will announce their Draft selections at their facilities and other locations in their city. Fans in Chicago will have the opportunity to take photos onstage at the Auditorium Theatre.
Selection Square: Selection Square will serve as the epicenter of the Draft. Located across Michigan Avenue from the Auditorium Theatre, Selection Square will feature all 32 team tables where representatives from each NFL team will make their Draft selections throughout the three days. Selection Square is free and will include a reserved seating section, and NFL Network produced live programming all three days of the Draft. Upon selection, Draft picks in attendance will be featured outside in Selection Square for interviews in front of the crowd.
Draft Town: Draft Town presented by Oikos Triple Zero is the free, expansive interactive Draft celebration in Grant Park open all three days of the Draft. Full of music, food and more, the 900,000-square foot celebration is the size of more than 15 football fields. Draft Town will feature interactive elements, flag football competitions, concessions, player appearances/autograph signings, an NFL Draft Shop, visits from Draft prospects and more.
Grant Park’s famous Buckingham Fountain will be lit up in the colors of the team that is on the clock during the Draft’s first two nights.
The three-day event will culminate on Saturday night with a concert to close out Draft Town festivities. Draft Town fan experiences include:
- Sweetness Simulator
- Run Like the Wind
- AFC & NFC Row/Team Houses
- NFL PLAY 60 Zone Presented by Danimals
- Super Bowl Museum
- Draft Tavern Presented by Bud Light
Hours:
The Rounds:
- Round 1: April 30 | 5 p.m. (festivities); 7 p.m. (start of the Draft)
- Round 2 & 3: May 1 | 7 p.m.
- Rounds 4 – 7: May 2 | 11 a.m.
Draft Town:
- April 30: 4 – 10 p.m.
- May 1: 4 – 10 p.m.
- May 2: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Admission: No tickets are required for Draft Town presented by Oikos Triple Zero. A limited number of tickets are available for both the Auditorium Theatre and Selection Square.
