WWE brings WrestleMania back to Philly in 2024
STAMFORD — WWE will bring it its biggest event back to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time in 25 years.
The Stamford-based wrestling entertainment company announced Wednesday that WrestleMania 40 will take place April 6-7, 2024, at Lincoln Financial Field, the 67,594-seat home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. WrestleMania 15, held at Wells Fargo Center arena in 1999, was the only previous time that WWE’s marquee annual event was held in the country’s sixthmost-populous city.
“On behalf of WWE, we are thrilled to bring WrestleMania back to the City of Brotherly Love,” WWE Executive Vice President of Special Events John Saboor said in a written statement. “We thank all of our local partners who were integral in making this long-awaited return a reality.”
The announcement comes amid turmoil at WWE, where Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon announced Friday he is retiring after a Wall Street Journal investigation revealed millions of dollars in payments to women over the last 16 years, related to sexual misconduct and infidelity. The company said this week there were improperly reported payments totaling $14.6 million.
WWE shares were up sharply on the New York Stock Exchange after the late-Friday announcement due to speculation the company would be sold, CNBC reported. Shares have given back most of those gains since.
In addition to the action in the ring, other events during the week of WrestleMania 40 will include Friday Night SmackDown, the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony and Monday Night Raw at Wells Fargo Center, as well as other fan events at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. WWE also plans to host community outreach events, including hospital visits and Be a STAR bullying prevention rallies.
“We are proud to welcome WWE fans from around the world to Philadelphia to be a part of the historic 40th WrestleMania in 2024,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a written statement. “The week-long series of events will help put a global spotlight
on our great city while also generating a major impact for our local economy.”
During the past decade, WrestleMania has generated more than $1.25 billion in “cumulative economic impact” for the cities that have hosted the event, according to WWE. Breaking attendance and revenue records for WWE events, more than than 156,000 fans attended WrestleMania 38, which was held in April at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“The Philadelphia Eagles are thrilled to partner with WWE as WrestleMania makes its much-anticipated return to Philadelphia in 2024,” Philadelphia Eagles
President and PHL Sports Chair Don Smolenski said in a statement. “We are excited to help showcase the industry’s most iconic event in front of a global viewing audience and look forward to providing WWE fans in attendance with a first-class experience at Lincoln Financial Field.”
WrestleMania 39 will be held April 1-2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. — the first time that the event will take place in the postVince McMahon era. Last Friday, McMahon announced his retirement as chief executive officer and chairman, amid a company investigation of his alleged misconduct. Stephanie
McMahon, McMahon’s daughter and previously chief brand officer, and Nick Khan, who formerly served as president and
chief revenue officer, were named the new co-CEOs.