FedExForum Game Day Guide
Memphis Grizzlies · Memphis, TN
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Each guest may bring one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 6 x 8 x 2 inches, a one-quart clear storage bag, or a wallet no larger than 5 x 3.5 inches.
Clear bags cannot have an all-over print that blocks the contents, and metal or chain straps are prohibited. Compliant bags and wallets receive X-ray screening. Medical bags and diaper bags with the child present are exceptions after inspection. Guests with medically necessary bags must use the marked Grand Lobby doors.
- Bag storage
FedExForum does not store rejected bags or other prohibited items; guests must dispose of them before entry.
- Gate opening
Doors normally open 90 minutes before tipoff for Memphis Grizzlies games.
Door times can vary by event; call 901-205-1234 to confirm an event-specific time.
- Mobile tickets
Open Grizzlies tickets in the official team app or add them to a digital wallet before reaching FedExForum; screenshots and printed digital tickets are not accepted.
At the scanner, keep the device unlocked with the brightness up. When one phone holds multiple tickets, scan the other guests before the device holder.
- Re-entry
FedExForum does not permit re-entry after a guest exits.
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include weapons, mace or pepper spray, fireworks, aerosols, bats, poles and selfie sticks, tripods, drones, laptops, lasers, air horns, projectiles, outside food or drink, professional or recording cameras, and unapproved or obstructive signs.
Small personal still cameras must have a fixed lens no longer than 3 inches. Security may reject any additional item considered unacceptable for the event.
- First aid
First Aid stations are on the Plaza Level at Section 102 and the Terrace Level at Section 202.
Attendants can provide basic items such as aspirin, antacids, and bandages.
- Nursing and lactation
A Mamava Nursing Pod for pumping or breastfeeding is near Section 107 on the Plaza Concourse.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are available on every general-public access level at FedExForum.
- Tickets for children
Guests age 2 and younger do not need an admission ticket unless the event specifies a different rule.
The public policy does not state a lap-seat or separate-seat condition.
- Guest services
Guest Relations Centers are on the Plaza Level at Section 102 and the Terrace Level at Section 202.
Call the Guest Relations Hotline at 901-205-1535 for help before or after an event; comment cards are available at both centers.
- Service animals
Animals are prohibited except service animals and animals specifically approved for an event.
Call Guest Relations at 901-205-1535 before the game with questions about the venue's service-animal accommodation.
- Smoking and vaping
FedExForum is smoke-free inside; smoking is permitted only in designated areas outside the arena.
Because the venue also has a no re-entry rule, confirm access to any designated outside area with staff before exiting.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at FedExForum, hour by hour.
Arrive on Beale Street
Park downtown and head to Beale Street. Live music starts in the afternoon. Walk the strip and soak in the blues.
Pregame dining
Eat BBQ at Central BBQ or Gus's Fried Chicken. Or grab ribs and a beer at a Beale Street spot.
Doors open
Walk from Beale Street directly into FedExForum. Watch warm-ups and explore the concourse.
Find your seat
Settle in. The Grindhouse crowd gets loud early.
Game time
Memphis fans are among the most passionate in the NBA. The arena is nicknamed 'The Grindhouse' for a reason. Total game time is about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
The BBQ pulled pork sandwich is the must-try arena food item.
Post-game scene
Walk back to Beale Street for live blues music until the early hours. The music doesn't stop.
Tips & Fan Reports
FedExForum is very welcoming to visiting fans. The Grizzlies community is respectful and fun. Just cheer for your team and enjoy the atmosphere - nobody is going to give you a hard time.
Central BBQ, Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, and Blues City Cafe are all within walking distance. Skip the arena food.
Grizzlies fans are genuine and passionate. The 'Grit and Grind' culture is real.
Memphis BBQ and hot chicken are world-class and cheap. Eat before the game.
Beale Street is literally steps from FedExForum. Pregame on Beale is the quintessential Memphis experience.
Memphis is one of the most affordable NBA cities. Tickets, food, parking, and hotels are all well below league average.
The Beale Street pregame is the best in the NBA. Arrive 2-3 hours early to enjoy it.
Both garage entrances are on Dr. M.L. King Jr. Avenue, so approach from there rather than Fourth Street.
No metal or chain strap on the clear bag, which catches out a lot of otherwise-compliant bags.
This is a clear bag arena: an opaque bag of any size is refused, whatever the dimensions.
Before the Game
FedExForum runs a clear bag policy, which makes it unusual among arenas: one clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag per person, no larger than 6 by 8 by 2 inches, with no all-over print and no metal or chain strap, plus one quart-size clear freezer bag and a wallet up to 5 by 3.5 inches. Medically necessary bags and diaper bags are the exceptions, and those enter through the Grand Lobby at marked doors. The attached Gossett Motors garage holds 1,500 spaces over five levels with both entrances on Dr. M.L. King Jr. Avenue. Doors open 90 minutes before a Grizzlies game, an hour for other events.
Where to Go Before the Game
Gossett Motors Parking Garage
Attached to the arena, five levels and 1,500 spaces, with both entrances on Dr. M.L. King Jr. Avenue between B.B. King Boulevard and Fourth Street.
Known for 1,500 spaces · Attached to the arena · Entrances on Dr. M.L. King Jr. Ave
The Fourth Street drop-off
Guest, limo, taxi and express shuttle bus drop-off is at the east end of the arena on Fourth Street, between Beale and Dr. M.L. King Jr. Avenue.
Known for East end of the arena · Fourth Street · Taxis and shuttles
The Grand Lobby doors
Where guests carrying a medically necessary bag must enter, at marked doors, rather than at whichever gate is nearest.
Known for For medical bags · Marked doors · Separate entry
Beale Street
The arena sits at the foot of Beale Street, whose bars and music rooms are the Memphis pregame. The arena itself publishes no tailgating policy.
Known for Beside the arena · Bars and live music · The pregame
Pregame Rules
What FedExForum allows before the game, and what it does not.
- FedExForum operates a clear bag policy. Only one clear bag per person is allowed inside.
- Clear bags must be plastic, vinyl or PVC, no larger than 6" x 8" x 2", with no all-over print. A strap is permitted but not a metal or chain strap.
- One quart-size or smaller clear plastic storage or freezer bag is also permitted, along with a wallet no larger than 5" x 3.5".
- Exceptions may be made for medically necessary bags and diaper bags, with the child present. Patrons with medically necessary bags must enter through the Grand Lobby at marked doors.
- The Gossett Motors Parking Garage is attached to the arena, with 1,500 spaces across five levels and two entrances on Dr. M.L. King Jr. Avenue between B.B. King Boulevard and Fourth Street.
- Guest, limo, taxi and express shuttle bus drop-off is at the east end of the arena on Fourth Street between Beale and Dr. M.L. King Jr. Avenue.
- For Memphis Grizzlies games doors open 90 minutes prior to tip-off. For other events doors typically open one hour before show time.
Weather
FedExForum is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NBA season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 75°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 33°F. April is the wettest month at 5.9 inches and October the driest at 4.0 inches.
That January low ranks 17th coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and April here ranks 3rd wettest.
October
4.0 inchesDecember
5.5 inchesJanuary
4.1 inchesMarch
5.7 inchesApril
5.9 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages of every kind, including alcohol, are prohibited at FedExForum.
- A card or a phone wallet
FedExForum concessions are cashless and accept contactless card transactions plus Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- A coat for the walk in
January lows average 33°F between the lot and the door at FedExForum.
- A rain layer for the walk in
April averages 5.9 inches of rain outside FedExForum.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: Doors normally open 90 minutes before tipoff for Memphis Grizzlies games.
- Pregame
FedExForum official site: Parking & Directions, Arena Policies, Know Before You Go, and the clear bag policy announcement
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current FedExForum visitor, accessibility, arena-policy, parking, and concessions guidance plus the official Memphis Grizzlies app page reviewed for Grizzlies game-day policies.