League announces details for Day 1 of the NFL Draft in Kansas City

In a Thursday press release, the NFL announced the Day 1 entertainment and festivities for the NFL Draft. which will begin Thursday, April 27 at Kansas City’s Union Station.

Draft prospects will walk the “NFL Draft Red Carpet” presented by TCL, which will take place on the Memorial Courtyard at the National World War I Museum and Memorial overlooking Union Station. That will begin at approximately 4:45 p.m. Portions will be broadcast on NFL Network’s “NFL Draft Kickoff Show,” which will be anchored by Melissa Stark.

As the event opens, well-known Kansas City singer-songwriter Oleta Adams will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” from a downtown location, while country music star Brittney Spencer will perform the National Anthem from the World War I Memorial. Following the anthem, the U.S. Air Force will conduct a flyover.

Kansas City party band Lost Wax will serve as the house band at the Draft Theater in front of Union Station, providing music between each day’s draft selections. NFL Network’s Kimmi Chex and Colleen Wolfe will be hosting other activities in the theater.

Current and legendary Kansas City Chiefs players — along with members of Big Slick Kansas City (including homegrown television celebrities Eric Stonestreet and Heidi Gardner) will provide a number of special moments throughout the draft.

The “NFL Draft Experience” (presented by Panini) will be located on the south side of the World War I Memorial. This free interactive football theme park will be open to the public from Noon until 10 p.m. (Arrowhead Time) on both Thursday and Friday of draft weekend — and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

At the end of each of the draft’s three days, the league will host free concerts in the Draft Theater as part of the “NFL Draft Concert Series” presented by Bud Light. General fan viewing will be standing room only on a first-come, first-served basis on the north lawn of the World War I Memorial. Headliners will be announced soon.

The NFL Draft presented by Bud Light will be broadcast live on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes — and streamed on NFL Plus — beginning at 7 p.m. (Arrowhead Time) Thursday, 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday.

For more information on the 2023 “NFL Draft Experience” — and for the full list of interactive games and attractions — please visit NFL.com/Draft or download the NFL OnePass app at NFL.com/OnePass.