Super Bowl faces backlash for having over 25,000 people in attendance

8 February 2021, 11:43

The Weeknd’s close camera work delivered the meme of Super Bowl LV

By Sam Prance

How many people were in the Super Bowl audience? The full crowd numbers and coronavirus safety measures explained.

The Super Bowl is facing backlash over the size of the crowd at the 2021 event amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Yesterday (Feb 7), the 2021 Super Bowl took place. The American football event saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9, in an epic game. Not to mention, The Weeknd also headlined the prestigious Halftime Show. The superstar performed some of his biggest hits, including 'Can't Feel My Face', 'Starboy' and 'Blinding Lights'.

READ MORE: The best Weeknd memes from the Super Bowl halftime show 2021

The championship final was watched by millions of viewers at home. However, it also came under intense scrutiny over the huge amount of people in attendance in person. Even though the NFL followed strict safety measures, many people think that the Super Bowl set a bad example by having thousands of people in the audience.

How many people were in attendance at the 2021 Super Bowl?

25,000 people attended the 2021 Super Bowl in person, alongside 30,000 cardboard cutouts used to make it look as though the stadium was full. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 Super Bowl had the lowest ever attendance figures in Super Bowl history. In the past, the crowds have been made up of up to 100,000 people, so it is considerably lower than usual.

To make the event as safe as possible, the NFL also gave all audience members hand sanitiser and masks, which they were required to wear throughout the game. However, given that medical experts have asked people to stay at home during the pandemic, viewers are calling out the Super Bowl for still having such a huge audience and the example that it sets.

As it stands, the Super Bowl have not addressed the backlash. We shall update you if they do.

What do you think? Was the Super Bowl crowd too big?