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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Charles Goldman

Here are NFL’s opening day festivities for 2023 NFL draft in Kansas City

The league has officially announced some of the festivities set for Day 1 of the 2023 NFL draft in Kansas City.

The NFL Draft Red Carpet at the Memorial Courtyard at the National WWI Museum and Memorial will begin at approximately 4:45 PM CT on Thursday, April 27. Portions will be televised on NFL Network with Melissa Stark hosting and interviewing draft prospects live from the red carpet.

Ahead of the draft, Kansas City’s own Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Oleta Adams, will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” live from downtown Kansas City. Country music artist Brittney Spencer will sing the national anthem live from the WWI Museum as part of the opening day festivities. The Military District of Washington’s Joint Armed Forces Color Guard and United States Army Field Band Drummers will present the colors during the national anthem. There will also be a U.S. Air Force flyover at the conclusion of the anthem.

Kansas City native Kimmi Chex will be joined by Colleen Wolfe to host festivities from the draft theater on Day 1.

Local Kansas City band Lost Wax is set to serve as the house band and perform in between draft selections each day.

Notable Chiefs fans Eric Stonestreet and Heidi Gardner will be part of several special moments during the draft, as will select Kansas City Chiefs players.

At the conclusion of each day of the 2023 NFL draft, there will be free concerts in the draft theater hosted by the league and presented by Bud Light. Headliners for those concerts will be announced each day.

The NFL’s interactive football theme park, The NFL Draft Experience, will be free to the public on all three days of the 2023 NFL draft. It’s located on the south side of the WWI Museum and Memorial. It’s open from Noon to 10:00 p.m. CT on Thursday and Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.

The draft will be broadcasted live on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes beginning at 7:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 27, 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday, April 28 and 11:00 a.m. CT on Saturday, April 29.

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