WrestleMania To Occur As Planned, Despite Widespread Event Cancellations

Update: (as of Tuesday March 17, 2020) The event will go on as planned, but has been moved to a WWE training facility. Fans will not be allowed into the event.

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Although dozens of major sporting and concerts events have been cancelled over the last week due to the coronavirus pandemic, WWE WrestleMania is still on — for now.

WrestleMania 36 is scheduled to take pace on April 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. However, WWE said that is is taking precautions in case government officials end up cancelling the event.

“While we remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that it is cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues,” a statement from organizers said Friday morning. “The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay.”

On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that cities should postpone or cancel any mass gatherings over the next 30 days to limit the spread of coronavirus. If events are not cancelled, they should take screening measures to prevent infected persons from entering, DeSantis noted. Already, the NBA, NHL, NCAA, and MLS have cancelled games, while the MLB postponed its season opening. The BNP Paribas, March Madness, and Masters Tournament 2020 have also been cancelled.

WWE SmackDown, scheduled to take place Friday in Detroit, has been moved to a training facility in Orlando, Florida, ESPN notes, as “only essential personnel” will be in attendance.

We’ll update this story if more information becomes available.