Breaking news on a Tuesday afternoon!

The City of Philadelphia has again relaxed COVID restrictions on sporting venues, which means we can now have a good chunk of fans back in the stands.

Today the city announced that it would loosen rules to match what Pennsylvania is currently allowing, and as a result we will now be able to fill the Wells Fargo Center to 15% capacity and Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field at 20%. That change was announced by the state on Monday.

Here’s Dr. Thomas Farley confirming:

“We will be changing our restrictions as well to be consistent with the Governor’s plans.”

Under this new guidance, these are the maximum estimated occupancies for our local arenas:

  • Citizens Bank Park – about 8,600 people
  • Lincoln Financial Field – about 13,500 people
  • Wells Fargo Center – about 2,925 people

Again, those numbers include coaches, players, staffers, etc, so the total fan count will be a few hundred people lower.

Soon, we’ll get press releases from the Sixers and Flyers, and then a start date on when fans can come back. Then follow-up information will be provided on tailgating and other peripheral items.

Great news, though. It’s about time. The empty arenas just didn’t feel right. WELCOME BACK.

Edit 1 –

Here’s the initial statement from the Sixers:

Edit 2:

The Sixers sent this to season ticket members –

“Dear (name),

Welcome home! After 12 months, we are finally able to open up our doors to the best fans in the world and we look forward to having you join us at The Center. We are thrilled that Governor Wolf and Mayor Kenney have agreed to allow 15% capacity at The Center. We’ve long believed that our fans give us a TRUE home court advantage and we couldn’t be happier to have you with us as we continue our quest towards bringing home an NBA Championship. 

Although the arena will look and feel different, we have worked diligently with our partners at The Center to implement best-in-class health and safety protocols. All fans will be required to wear face masks while inside the arena and practice social distancing. As always, your safety is our number one priority. 

The Center has installed a brand new air-filtration system and is using state-of-the-art technology to ensure the building is completely sanitized before each game. We are confident in the safety measures The Center has taken and hopeful that we will be able to have all of our fans with us soon.

The first game we will host fans will be Sunday, March 14th vs. San Antonio. As a Society 76 member, you will get priority presale access to purchase tickets for our upcoming games as soon as they are available. Be sure to check your inbox later this week for more information about those presales. As always, we will do our best to accommodate you and your needs. Thank you for your loyalty and for sticking with us during a challenging year. We cannot wait to welcome you home. 

Sincerely, Chris Heck

President, Business Operations”