WrestleMania 40 is in Philadelphia this weekend. Here's what local and visiting WWE fans should know.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Finally, WrestleMania has come back to Philadelphia. After 25 years, WWE's greatest night is back in South Philly with hundreds of thousands of fans expected for WrestleMania 40, a two-day event at Lincoln Financial Field.
Excitement is growing in Philadelphia and the city is expecting a major economic boost, and that's the bottom line. Meanwhile, Lil Wayne will be at 'Mania this weekend to debut a new single, and Philadelphia International Airport views it as a "kickoff" for 2026.
WWE has also reached out to recently retired Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason Kelce, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.
Here's everything you need to know about WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia.
What is WWE's WrestleMania?
Think of WrestleMania as WWE's Super Bowl or World Series. It's the sports entertainment company's largest annual promotion.
WrestleMania is held between mid-March and mid-April annually. The first 'Mania was at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31, 1985. This weekend will be the second time WWE will bring its signature event to Philadelphia.
Where is WrestleMania 40 taking place?
WrestleMania is returning to Philadelphia for the first time in 25 years. WrestleMania 40 will take place Saturday and Sunday nights, during the first weekend of April 2024, at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia.
The Linc, home to the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, is located at One Lincoln Financial Field Way, Philadelphia, Pa. 19148.
'Mania was last in Philadelphia for WrestleMania XV on March 28, 1999, at the First Union Center (now Wells Fargo Center).
The main event featured Stone Cold Steve Austin against The Rock in a "no disqualification match" for the WWE Championship. The match ended with Stone Cold stunning The Rock and winning the belt, with Mankind as referee. Mankind beat the Big Show earlier to become the main event's referee.
Other matches included The Undertaker beating Big Boss Man in a Hell in the Cell match, Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett with Debra beating Test and D-Lo Brown with Ivory to retain the world tag team championship, and Hardcore Holly beating Billy Gunn and Al Snow in a triple threat hardcore match to become champion.
Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall hosted two WrestleManias - WrestleMania IV and WrestleMania - featuring iconic wrestling superstars of the time such as Andre the Giant, Macho Many Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan.
Last year's WrestleMania was held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
When do WrestleMania matches start and end?
Matches are set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on both nights - WWE does not release the match order ahead of time.
Who is fighting in WWE WrestleMania 40?
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be back in the ring for his first real match in 11 years, teaming up with Undisputed WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns in a tag team match against Cody Rhodes and Seth "Freakin" Rollins on Night 1.
Then on Night 2, Roman Reigns will defend his championship belt against Cody Rhodes.
Also on the slate are Becky Lynch taking on Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship, IYO SKY vs. Bayley for the WWE's Women's Championship and Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship.
How to get WrestleMania 40 tickets
WrestleMania 40 tickets sold out fast last summer and topped the all-time total gross record of $21.6 million set by 2023's WrestleMania 39. WWE sold more than 90,000 tickets before a single match was even announced.
So, getting tickets for 'Mania could be costly through third-party sites. During the Phillies' 2022 World Series run, some third-party websites offered CBS Philadelphia tips on how to buy tickets legitimately.
Here is how you can still buy tickets - all tickets are as of Friday afternoon.
SeatGeek
The cheapest tickets on SeatGeek run for $143 each for Night 1. If you have an extra $68,053 you can score a ticket in Section 205, Row 14 on SeatGeek.
For Sunday, tickets are as cheap as $147 each and as expensive as $68,053 each.
The cheapest two-day pass for WrestleMania 40 is running at $412 each.
StubHub
StubHub's cheapest ticket for Night 1 is currently $181. For Night 2, the cheapest is $208.
A two-day pass is going for $554 on StubHub.
Gametime
Gametime has tickets available for as cheap as $153 each for Night 1, $175 for Night 2 and $424 for a two-day pass.
What is Lincoln Financial Field seating chart?
The Linc opened in August 2003 and has a seating capacity of 69,879.
For WrestleMania, seats are available in 16 floor-level sections, lower-level risers, the lower level, mid-level, club level, upper level, the southwest terrace and the Miller Lite Phlite Deck.
The ring will be staged at midfield.
How does Lincoln Financial Field parking work?
According to the Linc's website, general stadium parking costs $40 for cars and $80 for oversized vehicles throughout the season - parking passes are being sold on third-party websites like SeatGeek and StubHub.
SEPTA offering extra service for WrestleMania 40
SEPTA said it will offer extra Broad Street Line and Regional Rail service from through Monday for several WWE events happening in Philadelphia - 'Mania isn't the only gig in town. WWE SmackDown was in Philly Friday night, and Monday Night Raw is also in town.
On Saturday, SEPTA will supplement its additional service to NRG Station with two express subways at 10:30 and 10:40 a.m. Then beginning at 4:25 p.m., SEPTA will have 10 additional express trains every 10 minutes to NRG Station.
On Sunday, SEPTA again will have 10 additional express trains running every 10 minutes beginning at 4:25 p.m.
Then on Monday, SEPTA will have two express trains leaving Fern Rock at 6:38 and 6:48 p.m.