As noted, it was announced that AEW All In drew paid attendance of 81,035 fans at Wembley Stadium in London, England on Sunday, August 27. The company touted this as the new worldwide attendance record for pro wrestling.
A new report from Wrestlenomics notes that 72,265 people went through the turnstiles that night at Wembley Stadium. In response to a public records request on the AEW All In attendance, the Freedom of Information office for the Brent Civic Centre responded with the following statement:
“The actual numbers registered entering [Wembley] Stadium through the turnstiles was 72,265 – this is reflective of what attended on the night and not the total number of tickets sold or no-shows etc.”
The Brent Civic Centre provides citizens with public services for the Brent London Borough, where Wembley Stadium is located.
The final @WrestleTix estimate on distributed tickets for All In was 83,131. AEW’s announced paid attendance was 81,035.
A source noted to Wrestlenomics that a typical AEW event has a drop count, which is also known as a “turnstile count,” and is around 80% to 90% of the paid attendance or tickets distributed. As far as All In goes, 72,265 is 89% of 83,131.
WWE’s WrestleMania 32 in 2016, which aired from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, had a higher turnstile count than AEW All In. Arlington Police reported that 80,709 fans entered the stadium for WrestleMania 32, which is more than 8,000 higher than the turnstile count of 72,265 for All In.
WWE initially announced attendance of 101,763 for WrestleMania 32, but Executive Chairman Vince McMahon later admitted that the 101,763 number included “ushers and ticket takers, and all of that.” It was then revealed in the 2016 Q3 report that WrestleMania 32 had paid attendance of somewhere in the range of 73,711 and 85,888, which is a range that the turnstile count of 80,709 is comfortably within.
It has not been confirmed how suite attendees may factor into the numbers for either event, but the Wrestling Observer reported that the 83,131 figure does not include people in the suites. The Observer also speculated that a total of 85,371 fans were in Wembley Stadium for All In, and that speculation would also include comps and staff. It was also reported that 12,000 to 14,000 seats were blocked off due to staging and obstructed views.
With that said, it’s not clear which event had the highest number of ticket sales – WrestleMania 32 or All In 2023.
WWE’s WrestleMania III, which aired in 1987 from the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, MI, also fits in the conversation on verifiable most-attended pro wrestling shows ever, outside of North Korea. The Wrestling Observer previously reported paid attendance of 75,800 for WrestleMania III, and a total attendance of around 78,000. Wrestlenomics noted that if the event was a sell-out, the number could be higher.
Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.
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