Bret Michaels has sung the national anthem at a Pittsburgh Steelers game back in 2000 at Three Rivers Stadium. He’s led the Terrible Towel twirl. And he’s played a set at halftime (Oct. 26 last year during “Sunday Night Football” between the Steelers and Green Bay Packers.)
That’s not to mention his custom Gibson Les Paul Steelers guitar, his cowboy hat emblazoned with a Steelers logo or the Terrible Towel frequently whipped out on stage.
Now the Butler County native gets to add a new milestone: performing in Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft.
Michaels and another hometown favorite, Wiz Khalifa, will perform April 24, while country singer Kane Brown will headline April 25, as a part of the NFL Draft Entertainment Series.
“I cannot be more honored, excited and fired up to be asked to perform at the Pittsburgh 2026 Draft on Friday night,” Michaels said in a release. “As a Pittsburgh native and a diehard fan of the Steelers, the NFL and all things Pittsburgh, this is a dream come true.”
Michaels, the longtime frontman of Poison, and Khalifa, the “Black and Yellow” rapper, will perform starting at 5:15 p.m., before Rounds 2 and 3 later that evening.
“Coming home to Pittsburgh for the draft is pretty special,” Khalifa said. “This city raised me, and the energy here is different. Being back with the fans and representing the city in a moment like this just feels right.”
The performance from Brown, who headlined PPG Paints Arena in 2024, is slated for after the conclusion of the third day of the draft.
“The draft is one of those weekends where you can feel how much the game means to people,” Brown said. “Fans, players, the whole city, everyone’s part of it. Being here for that is going to be unforgettable.”
The concert series, sponsored by Bud Light, will take place at the Draft Theater next to Acrisure Stadium. The performances are free to watch but the standing-room space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis.
Pittsburgh-raised jazz/pop artist KELS will perform the national anthem on April 23 on the first day of the draft. Before the anthem, the James Weldon Johnson Foundation’s National Hymn Choir will be joined by the Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh to perform the hymn “Life Every Voice and Sing.”
The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. To attend draft events, fans should register for free entry at nfl.com/draftaccess. The NFL also recommended downloading the NFL OnePass app in order to help find draft activities, updates, schedules and prizes.
“Bringing the draft to Pittsburgh gives us a chance to tap into a city with a deep connection to football and music,” said Tim Tubito, the NFL’s senior director of global event presentation and entertainment. “This year’s event brings together artists with strong roots in the region and renowned global reputations to help create even more memorable moments onstage throughout (the) draft.”