Levi's Stadium Game Day Guide
San Francisco 49ers · Santa Clara, CA
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Clear bags may be no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches; one-gallon clear freezer bags and non-clear clutches no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches are also permitted.
Medical bags are inspected and tagged, and diaper bags accompanying a child are permitted after inspection. All approved bags may be inspected again inside the stadium.
- Bag storage
Mobile Locker Co. operates two bag-check locations for $20 per bag.
Locations are in the RV Parking Lot near the Hilton and on Tasman Drive near the northeast Gate F entrance.
- Gate opening
Stadium opening times vary by event; check the event guide or ticket details for the applicable entry time.
- Mobile tickets
49ers tickets can be managed in the official 49ers app, and the ticket barcode must be visible for scanning at the entry gates.
Remote ticket-assistance booths are outside Gates A and C and at the Visa Box Office inside Gate F.
- Re-entry
Re-entry is not permitted; in an emergency, contact the ticket scanner or security supervisor at the nearest gate before leaving.
- Prohibited items
The stadium prohibits non-compliant bags, alcohol, cans and glass bottles, coolers, weapons, drones, laptops, large camera lenses, noisemakers, projectiles, fireworks, and other listed items.
Review the complete official list before leaving home because permitted-item rules can vary by event.
- First aid
First aid is available on the main concourse near Section 122, the upper concourse near Section 323, and in the SAP Suite Tower Atrium.
- Nursing and lactation
Sutter Health lactation pods are available in the North Atrium, South Atrium, and near Sections 106 and 125.
- Family restrooms
Private family restrooms with baby-changing tables are available on every concourse and on club and suite levels.
Public family restrooms include locations near Sections 108, 127, 309, and 320.
- Tickets for children
Every guest age 2 or older must have a ticket for admission.
- Guest services
Guest-service kiosks are available on the main and upper concourses and inside the SAP Tower Atrium.
For an in-stadium conduct or safety concern, text SUPPORT and the issue and location to 573-549-4357.
- Service animals
Task-trained service dogs and miniature horses, including animals in training, are permitted and must remain leashed.
Relief areas are near Gates A, B, and C by the bridges; emotional-support animals are not permitted.
- Smoking and vaping
Levi's Stadium is smoke-free, including cigarettes, vaping, e-cigarettes, and marijuana; designated smoking areas exist at select locations within the stadium perimeter.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Levi's Stadium, hour by hour.
Parking Lots Open
Stadium parking lots open for tailgating. Bay Area fans arrive early to claim spots and fire up grills in the California sunshine.
Gates Open
Stadium gates open. Head inside early to explore the concourses, check out the Levi's 501 Club, and grab the famous garlic fries before lines build.
Player Warmups
Players take the field for warmups under the Northern California sun. Lower bowl end zone sections offer the best views of stretching and drills.
Find Your Seats
Grab a sourdough bread bowl and settle into your seats. The pregame video tribute and player introductions build energy across the open-air bowl.
Game Time
The Faithful roar as the 49ers take the field. The open-air stadium lets the Bay Area sun (or evening chill) be part of the experience.
Exit Strategy
VTA light rail runs extended post-game service. Many fans tailgate post-game in the lots to let traffic clear on Great America Parkway.
Tips & Fan Reports
Blue Lot 1 and Green Lot 1 are the best tailgating at Levi's. Green Lot 1 near poles 13/15 is livelier. Park somewhere close to the porta potties because lines can get really long.
Parking lots and tailgating don't open until 3.5 hours before kickoff. Set a hard time for when you need to break down the tailgate to make it in by kickoff and do not deviate from it.
The VTA light rail from Great America station is the easiest transit option, avoids traffic and drops you at the stadium's doorstep.
Levi's Stadium is open-air. Dress for Northern California weather. Afternoon games can be warm; evening games get cool quickly.
The garlic fries are legendary at Levi's - get them early before the lines build up. They sell out at some stands by halftime.
VTA light rail from Great America station drops you at the front door. Way easier than parking in the tech park lots.
Levi's gets HOT for September and October 1pm games. The west side has shade first. Bring sunscreen regardless.
Measure the canopy at 8 by 8 feet, and check the vehicle: over 18 feet long or 8 wide and a lined space is not available to you.
A big group tailgate has to be self-catered: outside catering companies are not allowed into the lots at all.
Decant before you leave home. Glass is banned in every lot, with no exception for the bottle you meant to keep in the car.
Before the Game
Levi's Stadium keeps tailgating tightly inside the parking stall: tables, chairs, coolers and barbecues all have to stay within your party's own bay, and a setup is limited to the lined space plus the ground directly in front of or behind the vehicle. Canopies cap at 8 by 8 feet, and a vehicle longer than 18 feet or wider than 8 cannot use a lined space at all. Two prohibitions catch people out because they are absolute rather than conditional: glass containers are not permitted in any lot, and amplified sound is banned outright. Tailgating ceases after kickoff, and non-compliance means ejection from the lot with no compensation.
Where to Tailgate
The stadium parking lots
The stadium lots, where tailgating happens one party per lined stall. Everything (tables, chairs, coolers, barbecues) stays within your own bay plus the ground directly in front of or behind the vehicle, and glass is banned across every lot.
Known for One stall per party · Glass banned in every lot · Tailgating ends at kickoff
Hot coal disposal points
Appropriate receptacles must be used for hot coals rather than the ground or a bin in the lot. Worth locating before you light the barbecue rather than after.
Known for Designated receptacles · Required for charcoal
The oversize-vehicle problem
Any vehicle over 18 feet long or 8 feet wide is not permitted to park in a lined parking space, so an RV, long van or trailer needs a different arrangement with the stadium rather than a standard lot pass.
Known for 18ft length cap · 8ft width cap · Needs its own plan
Pregame Rules
What Levi's Stadium allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Tailgating is limited to the lined parking space and the area directly behind or in front of each vehicle.
- All tables, chairs, coolers, barbecues and similar items must be kept within the parking stall of your party.
- Tents or canopies exceeding an 8' x 8' footprint are not permitted, and vehicles longer than 18' or wider than 8' may not park in a lined parking space.
- Appropriate receptacles must be used for the disposal of hot coals.
- Glass containers are not permitted in any lot.
- Amplified sound is prohibited.
- Outside catering companies are not permitted in Levi's Stadium parking lots.
- Tailgating ceases after kickoff.
- Non-compliance may result in ejection from the lot without compensation.
Weather
Levi's Stadium is open air, so these are the conditions you sit in.
Across the NFL season the warmest month is September, with an average high of 81°F, and the coldest is December, when the average low is 42°F. January is the wettest month at 2.8 inches and September the driest at 0.1 inches.
That December low ranks 25th coldest of the 32 NFL venues, and January here ranks 27th wettest.
September
0.1 inchesOctober
0.5 inchesNovember
1.3 inchesDecember
2.3 inchesJanuary
2.8 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Food may enter in clear plastic wrapping or bags that comply with the stadium bag policy; fruit must be cut into pieces, and only sealed plastic water bottles are permitted.
- A card or a phone wallet
Levi's Stadium is cashless; reverse ATMs and cash-to-card kiosks are available on the main and upper concourses.
- A warm layer for after dark
December nights average 42°F at Levi's Stadium.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
September highs average 81°F at Levi's Stadium, with no roof over the seats.
Tailgate Gear
Lots open with the lots, ending at kickoff.
- Cans or plastic only: glass containers are banned in every Levi's lot
- A canopy of 8 by 8 feet or smaller
- A proper receptacle for hot coals rather than the ground
- No powered speaker: amplified sound is prohibited
- A setup that fits entirely inside your own parking stall
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
- Pregame
Levi's Stadium official site, Stadium Policies (parking and tailgating)
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Levi's Stadium A-Z, bag-policy, and accessible-services pages reviewed for visitor-facing venue policies.