Here are today’s 6 verified theme park & live event stories, covering Theme Parks & Roller Coasters, Stadiums & Arenas and Live Music & Venues.
Every item below links to its original source.
The TLDR
- Stadiums & Arenas: FAA Ground Stop Forces NFL to Reshuffle Officials, Not Games
- Theme Parks & Roller Coasters: Earl the Squirrel Gets Moving Arms for the Holidays at Universal Studios Florida
- Live Music & Venues: U2 Opens 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony With Surprise Set
Stadiums & Arenas
FAA Ground Stop Forces NFL to Reshuffle Officials, Not Games
A nationwide FAA ground stop on Friday disrupted travel for NFL officials ahead of Sunday’s games, forcing the league to reassign crews to games closer to their hometowns, according to Front Office Sports. Referee Don Willard is now assigned to both the Dolphins-Colts game in Indianapolis and the Steelers-Bengals game in Cincinnati on the same day. Despite the shuffle, the NFL confirmed every Sunday game is being played as originally scheduled.
Ole Miss-Oklahoma Game Rescheduled to Sunday After FAA Ground Stop
The same Friday FAA ground stop pushed the Ole Miss at Oklahoma football game from its original Saturday 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff to Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, after Ole Miss couldn’t secure charter travel out on Saturday, per the SEC’s announcement reported by Front Office Sports. Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny pushed back on the change, saying it “isn’t fair to our athletes, our institution, or to Sooner Nation.” Fans tracking major game-day venues can also see how the sport’s biggest arenas stack up in our ranking of the world’s biggest indoor arenas.
Theme Parks & Roller Coasters
Earl the Squirrel Gets Moving Arms for the Holidays at Universal Studios Florida
Earl the Squirrel, the holiday character perched in the Christmas tree in Universal Studios Florida’s New York area, now moves his arms as part of this year’s display, according to Attractions Magazine. Separately, a parade balloon version of the character is set to join Universal’s Holiday Parade when it arrives in December. Universal Orlando’s holiday season runs through January 3, 2027.
Tokyo Disneyland’s Center Street Coffeehouse Set to Close in 2027
Tokyo Disneyland quietly updated its official website to announce that Center Street Coffeehouse, a World Bazaar restaurant open since the park’s 1983 debut, will close permanently on June 30, 2027. WDWNT reports that Tokyo Disney Resort has not given a reason for the closure or said what, if anything, will replace it.
Foundation Work Underway on New Dark Universe Coaster at Epic Universe
Aerial photos shared by X user @bioreconstruct and reported by WDWNT show concrete foundations and formwork taking shape behind the Monsters Unchained attraction, where Universal is building a new indoor coaster for Epic Universe’s Dark Universe land. The coaster’s aboveground structure has not yet gone up, and Universal hasn’t announced a name or opening date, saying only that it’s planned for “the years ahead.” It would become Dark Universe’s second coaster and the first new ride added to Epic Universe since the park opened. Fans craving more frights in the meantime can check out the scariest rides at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Live Music & Venues
U2 Opens 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony With Surprise Set
U2 kicked off the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles with a surprise two-song performance, according to Billboard. Bono and the band played “Silencio” and “Pride (In the Name of Love),” staging the newer song with a riot-police theme.
Explore more: scariest rides at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, ranking of the world’s biggest indoor arenas.
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Photo: Lobsterthermidor (talk) 13:42, 17 March 2017 (UTC) / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.