NFL draft just added musical acts fans didn’t expect

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The NFL Draft and music go hand-in-hand, but strip that away and you’re left with the core of the event: a chance for football teams to select promising college players. It sounds straightforward, but it’s actually quite complex.

The NFL is increasingly focused on making all its games more than just football – they want to create full-fledged events. Like the Super Bowl with its halftime show, Thanksgiving and Christmas games now feature entertainment as well. Even the NFL Draft has expanded to include a multi-day “Entertainment Series” with live music from various artists.

The 2026 event will feature performances by Wiz Khalifa and Bret Michaels on Friday, April 24th, coinciding with the second and third rounds of the draft. Country artist Kane Brown will perform on Saturday, April 25th.

NFL announces musical guests for the league’s Draft Entertainment Series in late April

Wiz Khalifa and Troy Polamalu weren’t selected by chance. Khalifa, who was raised in Pittsburgh, famously had a chart-topping song, ‘Black and Yellow,’ inspired by the colors of the city’s Steelers football team.

Michaels was raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, a town about 40 minutes from Pittsburgh. He’s also shared that he’s been a Steelers fan for as long as he can remember.

Okay, so I’m a bit confused about Kane Brown being chosen for this event. He’s from Tennessee, which is cool, but it feels like the NFL just went with him for business reasons, you know? He’s a really popular country-pop artist with a bunch of hit songs, which is great, but honestly, they could have picked anyone, and it ended up being him. It just doesn’t feel like the most inspired choice to me.

The first round of the NFL draft won’t feature a major musical act, but it will include talented performers. Jazz artist KELS will sing the national anthem, and the James Weldon Johnson Foundation’s National Hymn Choir, along with The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh, will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

If you’re interested in attending the free NFL Draft Entertainment Series, you can sign up in advance on the NFL’s website. Just click here to register!

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2026-04-03 00:00