Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware of the massive Veterans Day concert scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m. on the National Mall this evening. The Concert for Valor, which is presented by HBO and Starbucks, is expected to draw about 800,000 people to the National Mall tonight. Or, at least that’s what the organizers are expecting based on the permits they obtained. Though more conservative attendance estimates are at around 250,000.
But will 800,000 people actually show up? When was the last time the National Mall hosted an event with 800,000 in attendance? Well, to put it in context, at the last Presidential Inauguration, experts estimated attendance to be about one million. And that was less than the 2008 Inauguration of President Barack Obama. To compare and evaluate if 800,000 people will really be descending upon the National Mall tonight, here’s a brief, incomplete history of the crowd estimates at huge events on the Mall in the past decade:
Pro-Choice March for Women’s Lives, 2004
While organizers touted an estimated attendance of about 1.15 million, the BBC reports that police sources made an informal estimate of between 500,000 and 800,000. The rally was a “demonstration for reproductive rights and women’s rights” and features dozens of speakers and performers, including Peter, Paul and Mary, Indigo Girls, Moby, Ani DiFranco, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Ashley Judd, Kathleen Turner, Janeane Garofalo, Julianne Moore, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and more.
Barack Obama’s First Presidential Inauguration, 2009
According to the Washington Post, President Barack Obama’s first Inauguration ceremony, which also featured a performance from The Boss at The Lincoln Memorial as part of the We Are One Inauguration Concert, attracted about 1.8 million visitors to the National Mall.
National Equality March, 2009
The National Equality March, which was a rally for equal protection and rights for the nation’s LGBTQ community, reportedly drew about 200,000 people to the National Mall.
Restoring Honor Rally, 2010
Attendance at Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally, which was a “celebration of America’s heroes and heritage,” varies depending on who you asked. Beck himself said 500,000 people showed up, but that number varies for other outlets. ABC7 estimated “over 100,000.” The New York Post said 300,000. And others still bicker over the crowd size.
The Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear, 2010
The Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert rally that parodied Beck’s rally and Al Sharpton’s Reclaim the Dream rally (which only drew a few thousand people) drew a large amount of people to the National Mall. CBS News estimated 215,000 people showed up, but Colbert himself tweeted that number was probably closer to six billion, because obviously.
Barack Obama’s Second Presidential Inauguration, 2012
Though attendance was down from his first Inauguration, estimates for Obama’s second Inauguration was still strong with about one million people.
50th anniversary of the March on Washington, 2013
Tens of thousands—if not more, but no official or unofficial estimate was released—gathered on the National Mall last summer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
