An Arrowhead Stadium ritual will have a new location this year, as the Kansas City Chiefs have announced the addition of a Drum Deck.
In a long-running tradition, the Chiefs stage a drum ceremony just before kickoff at every home game. Traditionally, the drum has been brought out to the end zone for the ceremony, but beginning in 2019, it will be prominently displayed in a dedicated upper-level space called the Drum Deck.
The Drum Deck will be located on Arrowhead Stadium’s West side, underneath the scoreboard. More from The Kansas City Star:
The drum ceremony happens before each home game as the teams are taking the field for kickoff. A person is chosen to bang the drum amid fan chants and the chop.
Often the drummer is a former player or special guest. Before last season’s AFC Championship Game, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt banged the drum. Among others who led the ceremony last season were former tight end Tony Gonzalez and former Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder.
The unveiling of the Drum Deck marks the latest change to Arrowhead Stadium that will be completed before the 2019 season. In addition, the Chiefs are installing new upper-level seats, completing a re-application of waterproofing measures in the upper level, and installing an improved video display.
Rendering courtesy Arrowhead Stadium.