Paycor Stadium Tailgating
Cincinnati Bengals · Cincinnati, OH
Tailgating is permitted across every Bengals parking area around Paycor Stadium, with one line drawn firmly: open flames are allowed in the surface lots only and are strictly prohibited in any garage structure. The surface lots — 1U, A, B, D, E, Hilltop, Hilltop North and Longworth Hall — open four hours before kickoff. Everything closes two hours after the event ends, and for an evening game tailgating has to stop by midnight regardless. One thing to plan around this season: Lot 1 and Lot A are running at reduced capacity for the duration of an infrastructure project.
Tips & Fan Reports
Check out the official tailgating party in Lot E along the river in front of the stadium before the game. Bengal Jim throws a good party there every home game.
Grilling means a surface lot. Open flame is prohibited in every garage structure at Paycor, with no exception for a small grill.
Surface lots open four hours before kickoff — the practical start of the day.
An evening kickoff has a hard midnight stop on tailgating, whatever time the game finishes.
Lot 1 and Lot A are smaller this season because of construction, so buy early or plan for a different lot.
Where to Tailgate
The surface lots — 1U, A, B, D, E, Hilltop, Hilltop North, Longworth Hall
The lots that open four hours before kickoff, and the only ground where open-flame cooking is permitted. If you intend to grill, one of these is the answer.
Known for Open 4 hours before kickoff · Open flame permitted · Where grilling happens
The parking garages
Tailgating is permitted in the garage structures but open flames are strictly prohibited in any of them, so a covered space means no grill.
Known for No open flame · Covered
Lot 1 and Lot A, reduced this season
Both lots are carrying capacity reductions on Bengals gamedays for the duration of an ongoing infrastructure project, so a space that worked last year may not exist this one.
Known for Reduced capacity · Ongoing project
Rules to Know
What Paycor Stadium allows, and what it does not.
- Tailgating is permitted in all Bengals parking areas surrounding the stadium.
- Open-flame tailgating is permitted in surface parking lots only. Open flames are strictly prohibited in any parking garage structure.
- Surface lots 1U, A, B, D, E, Hilltop, Hilltop North and Longworth Hall open four hours prior to kickoff.
- All Bengals parking closes two hours after the conclusion of the event, and fans and vehicles must exit at closing time.
- For evening events, tailgating activities must conclude no later than midnight.
- For 2026 and for the duration of the project, Lot 1 and Lot A have reduced capacity on Bengals gamedays.
What to Bring
- A bag the gate will accept
One clear bag no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a one-gallon clear freezer bag, or a clutch no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches is permitted per person.
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food is prohibited except for medical or dietary needs; unopened bottled water is permitted.
- A card or a phone wallet
Paycor Stadium is cashless and accepts credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments for purchases.
- Your tickets on a charged phone
Bengals mobile tickets can be accessed and managed through the official Bengals app.
- Layers, gloves and a hat
January lows average 24°F, and the seats are open to it.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
September highs average 80°F at Paycor Stadium, with no roof over the seats.
- A poncho, not an umbrella
Umbrellas are on Paycor Stadium's prohibited list, and December averages 3.3 inches of rain.
Tailgate Gear
Lots open four hours before kickoff.
- A grill, and a surface-lot space to use it in — open flame is banned in every garage
- A pack-down plan for two hours after the game, when all Bengals parking closes
- An earlier finish for an evening game: tailgating stops at midnight at the latest
Cincinnati Bengals Tailgate Gear
Canopies, grills, coolers, and official Cincinnati Bengals gear for the ultimate tailgate.
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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.
- Pregame
Cincinnati Bengals official site: Tailgating at Paycor Stadium, Parking and Directions, and the 2026 parking update
- Venue policies
Cincinnati Bengals fan guide plus dedicated Paycor Stadium bag-policy and cashless-payment pages reviewed for visitor policies.
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals