Last-Minute Surge Forces Arena Expansion in Philadelphia for AEW Dynasty

AEW just pulled off a massive comeback in Philly. One hour before Dynasty was set to go live, WrestleTix dropped a major update showing that AEW had to open up even more seats at the Liacouras Center—because the demand kept climbing fast.

According to the update, “Available Tickets: 444. Current Setup: 8,343. Tickets Distributed: 7,899.” That’s a huge jump from the previous morning’s setup of 7,575. In fact, they added, “They opened up several other upper decks in full,” showing just how far things have come in the final stretch.

Compare that to just two weeks ago when only 4,320 tickets had been distributed—and fans were dragging AEW for poor local promotion and a weak card. But whether it was the final match announcements, word of mouth, or Philly’s classic late-game energy, AEW now has nearly 8,000 fans packing the arena.

This year’s Dynasty has already outpaced last year’s attendance in St. Louis, which drew 6,619 fans. Even 2021’s Dynamite in Philly (7,043) couldn’t touch tonight’s numbers. AEW now stands just a few hundred tickets away from a full sellout in a venue mapped for 9,922 seats.

The timing couldn’t be better. AEW stacked the card with top-tier matches, including Jon Moxley vs. Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega vs. Ricochet and Speedball Mike Bailey, and Mercedes Moné vs. Julia Hart. Add Chris Jericho vs. Bandido in a Title vs. Mask showdown, and there’s no doubt AEW came ready to deliver.

AEW turned a rough start into a late-game surge—proving once again that when the product hits right, fans will show up.

AEW Dynasty 2025 Lineup:

• AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Swerve Strickland
• AEW International Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Speedball Mike Bailey vs. Ricochet
• AEW Women’s World Championship: Timeless Toni Storm (c) vs. Megan Bayne
• AEW World Trios Championship: Death Riders (c) vs. Rated FTR
• ROH World Championship – Title vs. Mask: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Bandido
• AEW TNT Championship – No Time Limit, No Outside Interference: Daniel Garcia (c) vs. Adam Cole
• AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Hurt Syndicate (c) vs. Big Bill & Bryan Keith
• Owen Hart Cup Men’s Quarterfinal: Will Ospreay vs. Kevin Knight
• Owen Hart Cup Men’s Quarterfinal: Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher
• Owen Hart Cup Women’s Quarterfinal: Mercedes Moné vs. Julia Hart
• Zero Hour: Nick Wayne & The CRU vs. AR Fox & Top Flight
• Zero Hour: Max Caster vs. TBD

And don’t forget—Ringside News will have full live play-by-play coverage all night long in our AEW Dynasty section.