Spectrum Center Game Day Guide
Charlotte Hornets · Charlotte, NC
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Bag policy
Only small bags, clutches, crossbodies, and wristlets no larger than 5 x 7 x 1.5 inches are permitted; the rule applies to clear and non-clear bags alike.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Diaper and medical bags, including breast pumps, are exceptions and receive X-ray screening at the Belk Light Rail or Hornets Box Office entrance. All permitted bags are screened.
- Gate opening
Spectrum Center door times vary by event; the arena publishes no standing opening time for Hornets games, so check the listing for the game you are attending.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Mobile tickets
Spectrum Center tickets are mobile with limited exceptions and can be opened in the Hornets + Spectrum Center app or Ticketmaster app.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Add tickets to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet before arrival. Screenshots and screen recordings are not valid for entry.
- Re-entry
Spectrum Center does not permit re-entry during an event.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include weapons, noisemakers, lasers and flashlights, smoking products and lighters, laptops and tablets, aerosols, fireworks, frisbees, pepper spray, poles and selfie sticks, glass bottles, tripods, projectiles, bats and clubs, skateboards, hoverboards, and illegal substances.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Audio and video recording devices, smart glasses, and GoPros are prohibited. Still cameras with a detachable lens or a lens no longer than 4 inches are normally permitted, subject to event rules.
- First aid
First Aid stations are outside Sections 111 and 222.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Nursing and lactation
The Novant Health Parents Room is on the Belk Concourse outside Section 108 for feeding, pumping, and changing.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are on the Main Level outside Sections 102 and 111 and the Upper Level outside Sections 212 and 228.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Every Spectrum Center restroom has a baby-changing station.
- Tickets for children
Every child age 2 or older needs a ticket unless a specific event states otherwise.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- The public guide does not state a lap-seat condition for children younger than 2.
- Guest services
Guest Experience booths are outside Sections 102 and 208 during events.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- For advance help, email arenainfo@hornets.com or call 704-688-8128. During a game, text the incident location, including section, row, and seat, to 845-HORNETS.
- Service animals
Service animals and service animals in training are permitted and must remain under the handler's control.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Animals should be leashed, harnessed, or tethered unless that interferes with their work or the handler's disability. Email arenainfo@hornets.com before the game with accommodation questions.
- Smoking and vaping
Spectrum Center prohibits using or bringing tobacco, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, vape pens, pipes, smokeless tobacco, and lighters inside.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Arena staff will not store a confiscated smoking product.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Spectrum Center, hour by hour.
Arrive in Uptown Charlotte
Park in a nearby garage or take the LYNX Blue Line. Explore the Uptown restaurant and brewery scene along Trade and Tryon streets.
Pregame dining
Grab dinner at Fahrenheit, Mert's Heart & Soul, or one of the many Uptown restaurants. Carolina BBQ is a must-try.
Doors open
Enter the arena and explore the concourse. Check out the Hornets team store and the interactive fan zones.
Find your seat
Settle in for the Hornets' teal-themed intro show and player introductions.
Game time
Hornets games have a fun, family-friendly atmosphere with Hugo the Hornet entertaining the crowd. Total game time is about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
Hit the concourse for pulled pork or craft beer from local Charlotte breweries.
Post-game scene
Walk to nearby Uptown bars on College Street or East Boulevard for post-game drinks. Charlotte's nightlife is concentrated and walkable.
Tips & Fan Reports
After the game walk right past the Hornets Fam shop to catch the post-game show with Dell Curry and company. Great way to end the night especially after a win.
The Epicentre entertainment complex across the street has pregame dining and postgame nightlife.
Charlotte Uptown is compact, almost everything is within a 10-minute walk of the arena.
Uptown Charlotte's restaurant and bar scene has grown significantly. Dozens of options within 3 blocks of Spectrum Center.
LYNX Blue Line free park-and-ride at I-485 is the best budget hack - free parking, $2.20 train to the arena.
Halftime food lines are shorter at the upper-level concourse stands.
Hornets tickets are among the most affordable in the NBA, great value for families.
Weather
Spectrum Center 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 73°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 32°F. March is the wettest month at 4.0 inches and October the driest at 3.2 inches.
That January low ranks 16th coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and March here ranks 15th wettest.
October
3.2 inchesDecember
3.6 inchesJanuary
3.5 inchesMarch
4.0 inchesApril
3.8 inchesCharlotte Hornets Clear Bag Policy
Most venues require a clear bag. Get an approved one before you travel.
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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
Official venue page / team game day guide
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Spectrum Center A-Z and dining guidance plus official Charlotte Hornets visitor, sensory, concessions, and parking pages reviewed for Hornets game-day policies.