Wells Fargo Center, Flyers, 76ers on Gov. Wolf decision to allow 15% capacity for indoor events, including live sports
Mar 1, 2021
If city of Philadelphia matches new state restrictions or raises their own, fans can return to Wells Fargo Center for Flyers and 76ers games within days.
Wells Fargo Center, Flyers, 76ers are ready to welcome fans back once city officials match new state rules or otherwise increase allowable capacity.
Returning fans back to the arena at limited capacity would put hundreds of part-time workers back on the job, approximately two thousand when arena is full.
Wells Fargo Center has undergone a health & safety transformation, including an $11 million renovation of the HVAC system; Arena recently achieved the prestigious WELL Health-Safety Rating.
PHILADELPHIA (March 1, 2021) Today, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf lifted some restrictions on indoor events, allowing venues like Wells Fargo Center to host up to 15% of the building’s full capacity, including staff, for events including Flyers and 76ers games.
Fans will not be able to return, though, until the city of Philadelphia matches the state’s adjusted restrictions or raises their own restrictions.
On Friday, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley announced that the city of Philadelphia would match the state’s previous limit of 500 people for indoor events. Dr. Farley also said Friday that “if the state relaxes its limits further, we’ll consider whether we want to match that.” Now that the state has further relaxed its limits for indoor to allow up to 15% capacity, it’s up to the city to determine whether it will adopt the new state limit or otherwise relax its own restrictions.
“We’re ready to safely welcome fans back to Broad Street, and as soon as the city further eases its restrictions, we will have Flyers and 76ers fans in the building within days. We’re speaking directly with city leaders this afternoon in our continuing effort to make that happen as soon as possible,” said Valerie Camillo, President of Business Operations for the Philadelphia Flyers and Wells Fargo Center. “We’ve invested millions of dollars in health and safety advancements, we’ve worked with public health experts, and we’ve learned the best practices of other arenas that have safely welcomed fans back already. We’re ready to safely put hundreds of our part-time employees back to work and bring our fans back to Broad Street.”
“We are thrilled by Governor Wolf’s decision to increase capacity at sporting events. For 12 long months, we have been preparing for the opportunity to welcome home the greatest fans in the world to The Center,” said 76ers President of Business Operations, Chris Heck. “Our partners at Comcast Spectacor have done a remarkable job getting the arena ready for this moment, from installing state-of-the-art technology to implementing world-class health and safety protocols. Today’s announcement by Governor Wolf is an important step forward. It leaves us hopeful that we will be able to hear the unmistakable, passionate roar of a 76ers crowd again very soon.”
Once the city of Philadelphia takes further action, the Flyers and 76ers will release information on exactly how many fans will be able to initially attend games. The 15% capacity limitation is only part of the equation for determining how many seats are available - both the Flyers and 76ers must also follow NHL and NBA regulations, Wells Fargo Center’s own seating protocols, and more.
Even with a restricted capacity, returning fans back to Wells Fargo Center would allow hundreds of part-time employees to return to work. When the arena is open at full capacity, approximately two thousand employees are on the job at each Flyers and 76ers home game.
Over the last year, Wells Fargo Center has undergone a comprehensive health and safety transformation, and the arena can now meet or exceed health and safety requirements for restaurants, casinos, and museums, all of which have already opened in Philadelphia. Earlier this year, the venue was awarded the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management, a widely-respected, evidence-based, third-party verified rating of the venue’s health and safety protocols. The arena also recently completed an $11 million renovation of its HVAC systems, installing a new, state-of-the-art air filtration system that replaces all the air in the arena’s seating bowl every 30 minutes.
For updates on the health and safety systems and protocols in place at Wells Fargo Center, visit: https://www.wellsfargocenterphilly.com/back-to-broad.