What is the most-attended single event you've been to? Could be a sporting event, gathering, festival, or something else entirely.
The winner for me might be Vancouver's Celebration of Light fireworks event. Estimated attendance for the night I went was 400,000, but it was spread out over long stretches of the city's waterfront.
Quote from: Bruce on May 05, 2025, 02:56:50 PMWhat is the most-attended single event you've been to? Could be a sporting event, gathering, festival, or something else entirely.
The winner for me might be Vancouver's Celebration of Light fireworks event. Estimated attendance for the night I went was 400,000, but it was spread out over long stretches of the city's waterfront.
Probably either Summerfest in Milwaukee at some point or a Packer game at Lambeau.
Depending on whose number you agree with, the Kansas City Royals World Series Parade with 800,000 people.
Quote from: Bruce on May 05, 2025, 02:56:50 PMWhat is the most-attended single event you've been to? Could be a sporting event, gathering, festival, or something else entirely.
The winner for me might be Vancouver's Celebration of Light fireworks event. Estimated attendance for the night I went was 400,000, but it was spread out over long stretches of the city's waterfront.
Not sure which specific one that I went to had the highest attendance, but the Indy 500 regularly gets over 300,000.
The Red Wings victory parade after winning the Stanley Cup in 1996-1997 supposedly had 1.5 million people in attendance. Somehow my dad and I got down close to Hart Plaza that year dragging my Grandpa with us.
Probably an outdoor speech by Queen Elizabeth on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, probably on Canada's 125th birthday in 1992 or the 130th in 1997. I knew I would be in Ottawa on Canada Day, but I didn't know the Queen would be there too.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in the crowd of about 3,500,000; Thanksgiving 2010.
Attended the 50th Anniversary Victory Day Parade and March in Volgograd, Russia on May 9, 1995, with a reported crowd of over 1,000,000 that marched from downtown Volgograd up to Mamayev Kurgan for a reenactment of the battle.
Been to the July 4th fireworks on the National Mall multiple times -- 250,000 or so.
Watched Ronald Reagan's funeral procession in DC, but I don't think there were that many people in that crowd.
Eminem concert at United States Grand Prix, 2024. 100,000+
I've been to the Rose Parade multiple times, and the attendance was consistently around 700,000 the years I went.
Within a contained area: NFL Football games, where there's 70,000 within eyesight of each other.
At a parade: Probably the Eagles Superbowl parades, although it's around a million people spread over 5 miles. And technically we saw the parade in 3 different areas - near the beginning, then as it passed thru Center City, then as they were doing the speeches.
I once attended the 1999 Brickyard 400 which had a claimed attendance of 250,000 in the stands. I think Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about a big of a confined venue I'll ever attend.
Probably the most recent NFL Draft.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2025, 11:51:34 PMI once attended the 1999 Brickyard 400 which had a claimed attendance of 250,000 in the stands. I think Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about a big of a confined venue I'll ever attend.
Largest venue in the world based on permanent seating capacity.
Hands Across America. 1986.
Quote from: davewiecking on May 06, 2025, 07:52:45 AMHands Across America. 1986.
Ha! I believe I held someone's hand in our town's little chain. :D
I went to a NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond in 2011 that had about 70,000 in attendance.
Hm. My uncle took me to a 49ers game sometime in the mid 1970s, but I have no idea how big the crowd was.
Vancouver World's Fair in 1986, probably, although I don't really know any numbers for the fair as a whole, let alone that day.
edit to add: do astronomical events count? Probably a few million people around the world watching the Transit of Venus in 2012, and the Eclipse of the Sun in August of 2017.
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 06, 2025, 07:38:01 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2025, 11:51:34 PMI once attended the 1999 Brickyard 400 which had a claimed attendance of 250,000 in the stands. I think Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about a big of a confined venue I'll ever attend.
Largest venue in the world based on permanent seating capacity.
To that end I wasn't clear if the announced attendance was just the stands or included those in the infield.
Hard for me to say.
For the Caps' Stanley Cup parade in DC in 2018, I've seen estimates from a quarter-million to a half-million people.
For the 1991 Desert Storm parade in DC, I've seen estimates of 800,000, but it's unclear to me whether the estimates are for the parade, the fireworks that night, or for the whole day.
I think the largest crowd I've experienced in an enclosed place was either the 1995 Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome (Virginia v. Georgia) or the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte (Virginia v. West Virginia). Wikipedia says the Tire Bowl had a bigger crowd at 73,535. I think the Peach Bowl crowd felt bigger because it was an indoor stadium. First time I had ever been to a domed stadium, as opposed to an arena, and it was mind-boggling how big it was, even more so because our seats were in the second row.
(I have never attended a presidential inauguration and I don't ever plan to do so. Nor do I plan to attend the NFL Draft when it's here in 2027.)
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 06, 2025, 02:24:01 PMQuote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 06, 2025, 07:38:01 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2025, 11:51:34 PMI once attended the 1999 Brickyard 400 which had a claimed attendance of 250,000 in the stands. I think Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about a big of a confined venue I'll ever attend.
Largest venue in the world based on permanent seating capacity.
To that end I wasn't clear if the announced attendance was just the stands or included those in the infield.
I doubt the Brickyard ever sold out all the seats, so 250K likely included the infield.
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 06, 2025, 02:45:37 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on May 06, 2025, 02:24:01 PMQuote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 06, 2025, 07:38:01 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2025, 11:51:34 PMI once attended the 1999 Brickyard 400 which had a claimed attendance of 250,000 in the stands. I think Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about a big of a confined venue I'll ever attend.
Largest venue in the world based on permanent seating capacity.
To that end I wasn't clear if the announced attendance was just the stands or included those in the infield.
I doubt the Brickyard ever sold out all the seats, so 250K likely included the infield.
The first couple of years were definitely sell outs.
Quote from: kkt on May 06, 2025, 02:10:18 PMedit to add: do astronomical events count? Probably a few million people around the world watching the Transit of Venus in 2012, and the Eclipse of the Sun in August of 2017.
No.
Quote from: SEWIGuy on May 06, 2025, 03:00:18 PMQuote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 06, 2025, 02:45:37 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on May 06, 2025, 02:24:01 PMQuote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 06, 2025, 07:38:01 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2025, 11:51:34 PMI once attended the 1999 Brickyard 400 which had a claimed attendance of 250,000 in the stands. I think Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about a big of a confined venue I'll ever attend.
Largest venue in the world based on permanent seating capacity.
To that end I wasn't clear if the announced attendance was just the stands or included those in the infield.
I doubt the Brickyard ever sold out all the seats, so 250K likely included the infield.
The first couple of years were definitely sell outs.
On that note I've been to the absolute largest event in the history of the IMS: the 2016 Indy 500, which sold out for the seats and the infield, so up to 400k I believe.
Quote from: Rothman on May 06, 2025, 04:54:26 PMQuote from: kkt on May 06, 2025, 02:10:18 PMedit to add: do astronomical events count? Probably a few million people around the world watching the Transit of Venus in 2012, and the Eclipse of the Sun in August of 2017.
No.
While astronomical events are events, I don't think you can say you attended one. That's like saying I've attended a sunrise. You could just as well say that you've "attended" the "event" of living on this planet, with 8 billion other people. Last year I watched a total solar eclipse. You could say you attended an eclipse party with everyone else at that party, but not that you attended the eclipse with everyone else who saw it. I attended an eclipse party of my own with no one else on a lonely road.
The largest event I've ever been at is a 2016 Houston Texans game at NRG Stadium with an attendance of 71,897.
I think it's that one exhibition match between old Habs and Nordiques players back in 2010, with about 8000 people.
I assume it was the 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football game I attended when they played Texas.