Largest World Series parade attendance was 5 million after the Chicago Cubs victory in 2016. It was the 7th biggest crowd recorded in human history.
The Cubs fans were excited to join the victory rally after they broke the World Series drought of 108 years since 1908. It was the biggest event that ever occurred in Chicago.
Texas Rangers were the last to enjoy a large parade of fans surrounding them. They had finally won their first World Series trophy after 63 years of play in MLB.
This victory Parade is a tradition that started a few years after the establishment of MLB and World Series in 1903. It was first inaugurated to celebrate the Athletics' first ascension to the World Series even though they lost the title to the NY Giants.
It was a phenomenon that showed the support and appreciation from the fans towards the sports franchise that brought glory to the state. Over the years, the tradition continued whenever a team obtained a victorious feat in large tournaments and World championships.
There have been multiple records of attendees in the parades after their favorite team wins the World Series. Red Sox, Phillies, Rangers, and Royals are among the teams that received the biggest celebrations from their fanbase.
Biggest World Series Parade Attendance by Team
The Chicago Cubs World Series parade of 5 million in 2016 broke all attendance records in MLB. Boston Red Sox victory rally in 2004 ranks second with 3 million.
Both these records have gone beyond the regular parade sizes due to the value they held. The Red Sox were celebrating the end of the Bambino Curse after 86 years as they finally lifted the trophy in 2004.
On the other hand, multiple generations of Cubs enthusiasts were excited to finally witness their long-sought dream of watching their favorite team win the trophy after 108 years of waiting.
Similarly, there are other teams that called upon a huge crowd of millions which includes the numerous large-scale parades after the Yankees victory followed by the celebrations by the Phillies and Royals fans.
Here is the list of 10 such largest attendance records for World Series parade by MLB teams;
Chicago Cubs - 5 million attendees (2016)
New York Yankees - 3.5 million attendees (1996)
Boston Red Sox - 3.2 million attendees (2004)
Philadelphia Phillies - 2 million attendees (2008)
Atlanta Braves - 2 million estimated attendees (2021)
Houston Astros - 2 million estimated attendees (2022)
Chicago White Sox - 1.75 million attendees (2005)
San Francisco Giants - 1.5 million estimated attendees (2010)
Kansas City Royals - 800,000 attendees (2015)
Texas Rangers - 700,000 attendees (2023)
1. Chicago Cubs
Cubs World Series parade attendance was 5 million in 2016. It was the highest record set by any major league sports franchise in the state.
They had broken the previous record of 2 million for the largest victory parade in Chicago. Their sports club Chicago Blackhawks made the record during the Stanely Cup parade in 2013.
This gathering was recorded as the largest crowd in the entire Western region and 7th in the World throughout human history. The people had filled the streets from the Wrigley Field at Lake Shore Drive to every corner of Chicago.
Players were carried out of the ballpark to Michigan Avenue in multiple buses through the streets filled with cheers and joy from the Cubs fans. They had waited 108 years to enjoy this moment of joy and everyone expressed their feeling by coming out on the streets to join the rally.
The Cubs won the best of 7 series by a 4-3 record against the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series finals. The final game took place on Progressive Field in Ohio.
2. New York Yankees
The Yankees World Series Parade in 1996 had 3.5 million estimated fans all over Manhattan. It exceeded the city records for any event as per the New York Times.
World Series Champion New York Yankees were celebrated as the heroes through the grand parade. NY City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani also dubbed it as the biggest and grandest parade ever.
The Yankees had been through an 18-year Championship drought which might not be as excessive as the Cubs and Red Sox, but it was the highest for the team with the highest number of World Series victories throughout the MLB history.
They had defeated the Atlanta Braves in six games with a 4-2 record in the World Series that year. The fans had flown ticker tapes all over the city with players being mesmerized by the scene and enjoying their hard-earned victory.
3. Boston Red Sox
Red Sox World Series parade had a record 3.2 million attendance on 30 October 2004. The victory held more importance as it had finally ended the Bambino Curse.
It was a superstitious belief among the Boston natives that the Red Sox had bore after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. They went without a win for 86 long years before breaking the said curse in 2004.
They swept through the 2004 World Series by winning 4 straight games against the St. Louis Cardinals. They won the championship trophy without facing a single loss in the ultimate stage of baseball tournaments.
Following their victory, the city of Boston witnessed the largest crowd in its history exceeding any other big crowd events celebrated by the natives. The parade filled the streets from Fenway Park with hundreds of people lined up deep into the streets to see their favorite team.
4. Philadelphia Phillies
Phillies World Series parade attendance was the highest at 2 million estimates in 2008. They had won the World Series after 28 years of drought since 1980.
Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and others had led the team to a glorious victory. They closed off the Tampa Bay Rays in the last three games at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phils had won the first game and got tied by the Rays in the second. However, the Phillies swept through all three games from Game 3 to Game 5 as they played in their home ground with a supportive fanbase cheering for them.
Their final victory in the fifth game was delayed as it was obstructed by the rainy weather and continued after two days. It was the first time a World Series game was interrupted by the rain.
5. Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves World Series parade had an estimated 2 million attendance in 2021. The parade was divided into two parts throughout the day.
The Bravos had broken the championship drought after 26 years of wait. Their fans had lined up outside the stadium to give them a warm tribute after they clinched the World Series by defeating the Astros in six games.
They won four rounds against the Astros with the final victory being won at Minute Maid Park. It was an overwhelming sweep of 7-0 despite playing in the opponent's home ground.
There were hundreds of thousands of people lined up all over the city as they made their way toward Truist Park after returning victorious from Arlington, Texas. The people had been waiting to celebrate this moment for 26 years after their last win against the Cleveland Indians in 1995.
6. Houston Astros
Astros World Series parade attendance was estimated at 2 million after their 2022 victory. The crowd size was doubled from their first victory parade in 2017.
The Houston Astros came out to attend the celebration among the fans waiting outside Minute Maid Park. They were lined up for almost 2 miles along Smith Street for the championship parade on a Monday.
It was their second World Series title within five seasons as they won against the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. The Astros attendance at the game had almost reached 43,000 while having a maximum capacity of 41,168 audience.
7. Chicago White Sox
White Sox World Series parade attendance was 1.75 million in 2005. They had defeated the Astros in a four-game sweep ending on 26 October.
The Chicago White Sox had reignited the glory of being the World Champions after 88 years of drought since 1917. They were the top-performing team throughout the regular season and postseason.
Similar to the Boston Red Sox, they had marked the victory as the end of a long-lived curse. The highlights of the World Series were the Grand Slam by Paul Konerko in Game 2 followed by Scott Podsednik's walk-off home run.
Moreover, Game 3 of that World Series was recorded as the longest World Series game in MLB history. It went on for 5 hours and 41 minutes with additional six innings on 25 October 2005.
8. San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants World Series parade had an estimated attendance of 1.5 million in 2010. It was the first championship title after a 56-year gap.
This was the first among the three World Series victories for the team since moving to San Francisco in 1958. The natives had joined the rally to celebrate the team's victory over the Texas Rangers.
The hordes of people were packed all over downtown San Franciso as it became the largest gathering in the city. People stood atop buildings and filled the roads as the Giants cruised past the Financial District to City Hall in motorized cable cars.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy brandished the MLB commissioner trophy by standing atop his car as he rode along the parade.
9. Kansas City Royals
Royals World Series parade attendance in 2015 was 800,000. It was an estimated count for the crown from Union Station to the grass of Liberty Memorial.
The Kansas City Mayor made the remark for having at least 800 thousand fans on the street. The Royals had finally brought the World Series trophy home after a 30-year drought.
They had defeated the New York Mets in 5 games after winning the 4th and 5th games at Citi Field. The Royals won the final game by playing three extra innings and finishing 7-2 with a 5-score lead in the last inning.
10. Texas Rangers
Rangers World Series parade attendance 2023 was 700,000. It was the first time lifting the World Championship trophy and bringing it home.
The final three games were held at the home ground of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rangers swept three back-to-back games at Chase Field to finish the World Series at a 4-1 record.
After their victory in Arizona, the team had a grand welcome in Arlington with hordes of people cheering on their successful victory. It was one of the biggest celebrations to occur in North Texas according to Sports Business Journal.
