WWE is preparing for the second Evolution premium live event (PLE) scheduled for Sunday, July 13, 2025, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite six matches already confirmed, including Rhea Ripley challenging IYO SKY for the Women’s World Championship, ticket sales have raised concerns over attendance. With just 4,804 tickets sold out of a 6,652-seat capacity, the numbers lag far behind Saturday Night’s Main Event (SNME), which sold 10,731 tickets for its event the previous day in the same venue.
This discrepancy is particularly striking given Evolution’s lower ticket prices, with the cheapest ticket set at $56.75 compared to SNME’s $103.35 standard admission price. WrestleTix reported that Evolution’s ticket sales showed limited resale activity, especially in the upper deck areas, suggesting the event is struggling to fill seats despite offering more affordable options.
Impact of Competing Events on Evolution Attendance
The timing of Evolution has been criticized due to multiple significant events taking place in Atlanta the same weekend. The city‘s major attractions include Beyoncé’s ongoing Cowboy Carter Tour, which runs from July 10 to 14, and the MLB All-Star Game on July 15. This crowded entertainment schedule has created logistical challenges, including accommodation shortages and divided audience attention.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful’s The Hump, several WWE female performers expressed frustration over the scheduling of Evolution. Sapp shared,
“So a lot of the women that I was speaking to felt… a lot of them felt like it was set up. One, it was put in against All In weekend, across the street from a Beyoncé concert, during MLB All-Star weekend, when a lot of the hotels were going to be bought up in the area. They weren’t necessarily thrilled with that, but it was hastily produced,” —Sean Ross Sapp, Wrestling Journalist
This contributed to an uneasy atmosphere surrounding the event, with some wrestlers feeling the rushed planning hurt the show’s potential.
Comparison to Past Evolution Show and Venue Challenges
Evolution 2025’s attendance is notably lower compared to the first Evolution event held in 2018 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. That inaugural event attracted an audience of 10,900, considerably higher than the current sales. Additionally, Saturday Night’s Main Event achieves near sell-out status, as it features high-profile moments such as Goldberg’s anticipated retirement match against Gunther.
WrestleTix also pointed out that many upper deck seats for Evolution remain unsold, and parts of the hard camera side of the arena have not yet been opened, indicating WWE may be managing expectations by limiting available seating. They added,
“Based on resale patterns, I’d expect SNME to have more upper deck sections occupied. Evolution, on the other hand, has very little resale activity up there and a significantly lower price point in the lower bowl, so it’s likely anyone with combo tickets in the upper deck will be moved to the lower bowl. It also looks like much of the hard cam side hasn’t been opened yet,” —WrestleTix, Ticket Analysis
Rhea Ripley and Wrestlers Express Reaction to the Situation
Rhea Ripley, one of the event’s main participants, acknowledged the attendance struggles by sharing related updates on her social media presence. The underwhelming ticket sales and negative feedback from some women in WWE add to growing tension ahead of the event, which aims to showcase top female wrestling talent but is facing a challenging environment.
The ongoing issues surrounding WWE Evolution attendance have sparked conversations about event planning, particularly its placement in a crowded weekend filled with competing attractions. The reduced crowd size could impact the atmosphere of the event and how WWE presents its all-women’s showcase in a highly competitive entertainment market.
