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French Quarter street scene in New Orleans

New Orleans Pelicans

Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

Capacity
16,867
Roof
Indoor
Surface
Hardwood (Maple)
Opened
1999
Tickets
$12+
Parking
$15+
Beer
$10+
Food
$6.5+
Est. total
$43.5+

Against the other 29 NBA arenas, Smoothie King Center is the 5th cheapest game day: 3rd for tickets, joint 14th for parking and joint 6th for food and drink, compared on market ticket medians and published lot and menu prices in US dollars. See the full ranking.

Prices are estimates. See our methodology.

What to Expect

Smoothie King Center sits in the Warehouse District of downtown New Orleans, right next to the Caesars Superdome. The arena is a 20-minute walk from the French Quarter, making it one of the most entertainment-rich locations in the NBA. New Orleans is a food and music city above all else, the pregame experience here is unmatched. Walk Magazine Street for restaurants, hit a jazz club, then stroll to the game. The arena has the smallest capacity in the NBA (16,867), creating an intimate atmosphere. NBA games run about 2.5 hours.

View Seating Guide
French Quarter street scene in New Orleans

Tips & Fan Reports

Section 113 is great. The lower the seat number the closer to center court. I prefer mid-teens for the row number since you get a slightly better viewing angle than the first few rows.

SKCsec113

Wait until game day and buy seats an hour or two before tip-off on SeatGeek. We are bad enough that seats are going to be really cheap for the foreseeable future. Save your money for Bourbon Street.

NOLAlastMinute

Uber to and from the arena if you are staying in the French Quarter. It is a 50 minute walk and not the best route at night. The concessions inside are overpriced, so sneak in what you need.

FQtoSKC

Read the premium spaces by party size: Loge Boxes take four or five, suites twelve to eighteen, The Warehouse thirty-five to fifty, the HUB Club up to 150.

VYT Research

Seven garages and two lots hold about 7,000 cars, but not all open for every event — check before relying on a particular one.

VYT Research

The transit stop is on Poydras Street, opposite the Superdome at Gate A ground level.

VYT Research

Every garage is card-only, with no cash option at any of the seven.

VYT Research

Loge Box tickets carry access to the premium club lounges; the suite description does not mention it, so confirm before assuming a suite includes them.

VYT Research

The 14 by 14 by 6 inch limit is roomy by arena standards — a backpack within it is fine here, unlike at most NBA venues.

VYT Research

Rideshare is a 5-minute walk north of the campus on Poydras Street, through Champions Square.

VYT Research

Know Before You Go

Essential details checked against official venue information.

Bag policy

Backpacks are prohibited, and other bags, purses, or briefcases cannot exceed 14 x 14 x 6 inches.

Applies to: New Orleans Pelicans games

  • All guests and bags are subject to security screening. Event-specific management may change the policy, so check the game listing before traveling.

New Orleans Pelicans A to Z Fan Guide

Gate opening

General doors open one hour before Pelicans tipoff; qualifying premium season-ticket holders may enter 90 minutes before tipoff.

Applies to: New Orleans Pelicans games

  • Premium early entry includes club, suite, and floor-level patrons. The team recommends arriving early enough to clear screening before tipoff.

New Orleans Pelicans A to Z Fan Guide

Venue payments

Smoothie King Center is cashless for concessions, merchandise, and parking and accepts credit or debit cards.

Applies to: New Orleans Pelicans games

  • Cash may be converted to a prepaid Mastercard across from Sections 108 and 310. Cards are not reloadable, and unused balances incur a monthly fee after 90 days.

Smoothie King Center A to Z Guide

Re-entry

Re-entry is not permitted after leaving Smoothie King Center.

Applies to: New Orleans Pelicans games

New Orleans Pelicans A to Z Fan Guide

All Smoothie King Center policies

Guides for Smoothie King Center

  • Game Day Guide

    7 steps from arrival to tip-off, and 21 venue rules checked against official sources.

  • Parking Guide

    2 lots and garages with distances and entry routes, from $15.

  • Pregame Guide

    3 bars, patios and plazas near Smoothie King Center to fill the hours before doors.

  • Food & Drinks

    26 concession stands and 33 items researched from the venue's own menus, cheapest food $6.5 and drink $5.

  • Seating Guide

    9 seating areas at Smoothie King Center, with the level names printed on the ticket.

  • Getting There

    Driving routes plus every car-free way in — the cheapest is RTA Streetcar (St. Charles / Rampart-St. Claude), $1.25.

  • Cost Calculator

    Build a total for your own party using Smoothie King Center's stored figures.

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.

Venue facts

Wikipedia / Official Venue Page

View source

Food prices

Smoothie King Center 2026: hot dogs $6.50, beer at 75 cents per ounce

Compared against a maintained reference table and corrected where it disagreed

Venue policies

Current New Orleans Pelicans and Smoothie King Center fan, accessibility, parking, and dining guidance reviewed for Pelicans policies.

View source

Not yet checked against a published source

These figures are estimates. Most venues no longer publish the numbers behind them — concession and ticket pricing moved to dynamic marketplaces — so we hold them as estimates rather than dating them as verified.

  • Ticket prices — Secondary market averages (SeatGeek/StubHub)
  • Parking prices — Never checked against a published rate: the venue's parking page, read 2026-09-05, publishes none — the page gives directions and no rate. The 2026-07-27 figures were compiled from third-party listings (was: "Smoothie King Center 2026: on-site surface lots and garages $10-$35; event rates begin at $20 for the Champions Garage and typically run higher for Pelicans games").
  • Drink prices — Team Marketing Report Fan Cost Index + venue research

New Orleans Pelicans Fan Gear

Jerseys, hats, and licensed New Orleans Pelicans gear, delivered before game day.

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