State Farm Stadium Game Day Guide
Arizona Cardinals · Glendale, AZ
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
One clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a one-gallon clear freezer bag, and a small clutch no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches are permitted.
Medical exceptions are allowed after inspection; diaper bags are prohibited, so diapers and wipes must be carried in an approved clear bag.
- Bag storage
Two Mobile Bag Check locations outside the secured stadium perimeter store non-compliant bags for $20 each, with cashless payment only.
The locations remain open until 75 minutes after the game or until all bags have been reclaimed, whichever comes first.
- Gate opening
Check the specific Cardinals game listing for gate times: the general team guide lists main gates at 90 minutes before kickoff, but published event timelines can differ.
Club gates, the Flight Deck, and premium spaces commonly open before the main gates.
- Mobile tickets
Cardinals game tickets and parking passes are fully digital and managed through the Cardinals mobile app; traditional paper tickets and passes are not distributed.
Open the ticket and parking pass before approaching the stadium or carpark and arrive with a charged phone.
- Re-entry
Guests may not leave State Farm Stadium and re-enter with the same game ticket; the Cardinals publish no exceptions to this rule.
- Prohibited items
State Farm Stadium prohibits weapons, alcohol, non-compliant bags, coolers, most outside food and beverages, e-cigarettes, fireworks, strollers, drones, laptops, noisemakers, and other listed items.
Review the full official list before leaving home because event rules can change and security may reject hazardous or inappropriate items.
- First aid
Four First Aid offices are near Sections 122 and 136 on the Main Level and Sections 416 and 448 on the Terrace Level.
AED and Stop the Bleed equipment is available at additional locations throughout the stadium.
- Nursing and lactation
A privacy and nursing room with power outlets, seating, and a television is in the Club Level elevator atrium near Section 230.
Breast-pump supplies are permitted through every gate after inspection.
- Family restrooms
Twelve ADA-compliant family restrooms with baby-changing tables are distributed across the Main, Club, and Terrace Concourses.
Published locations are Sections 102, 114, 124, 136, 204, 219, 230, 247, 404, 421, 435, and 454; all public restrooms also have changing stations.
- Tickets for children
A child age 24 months or younger may enter without a ticket after receiving a lap pass at the entrance gate.
The child must be present when the pass is issued, and each adult game ticket may receive one lap pass.
- Guest services
Guest Services is near Sections 104 and 123 on the Main Level, at the Gate 3 mobile desk, and near Sections 417 and 448 on the Terrace Level.
For game-day help or a conduct concern, text the issue and seat location to 623-400-2210.
- Service animals
Guide, signal, and documented service animals are permitted; pets and other animals are prohibited.
Ask the nearest Guest Services booth for help reaching the service-animal relief area.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking is allowed only at Gate 2 on the Main Level and on the North Ramp for Club, Loft, and Terrace guests; e-cigarettes and vaping are prohibited inside.
Chewing tobacco and marijuana use are prohibited, and smoking outside must remain at least 20 feet from entry and exit doors.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at State Farm Stadium, hour by hour.
Parking Lots Open
Stadium lots open for tailgating. The desert sun is intense. Set up shade canopies immediately. The climate-controlled stadium interior provides relief once gates open.
Westgate District Comes Alive
Restaurants and bars in the Westgate Entertainment District fill with Cardinals fans. The district offers air-conditioned pregame options as an alternative to desert tailgating.
Gates Open
Stadium gates open. Enter the climate-controlled interior early to escape the heat and explore the concourses. The retractable roof keeps it at a comfortable 72°F inside.
Player Warmups
Players take the field for warmups. The grass field has been rolled back inside from its outdoor growing position. Lower bowl seats offer great warmup views.
Find Your Seats
Grab a Sonoran hot dog and settle into the climate-controlled comfort of your seat. The pregame video show fires up on the video boards.
Game Time
The Cardinals take the field to a sea of red. The retractable roof keeps the atmosphere intense and the temperature comfortable regardless of the desert heat outside.
Exit Strategy
Head to the Westgate Entertainment District for post-game dining and drinks, the restaurants and bars stay open late. Light rail runs post-game service. Traffic clears within 45 minutes.
Tips & Fan Reports
Bring a disposable cooler full of beer and exchange them with friendly tailgaters for food they are grilling. You meet different people, don't have to haul a grill, and the cooler gets tossed before you go in.
Buy a tent/shade canopy if you are tailgating before November. You will absolutely need it. Tailgating opens 4 hours prior to kickoff on the Great Lawn at State Farm Stadium.
Enter the stadium an hour before kickoff. The food trucks past security have Yellowman Fry Bread and other vendors you can bring inside. Westgate next door has everything for pregaming.
The Westgate Entertainment District next to the stadium has air-conditioned bars and restaurants. Way better than standing in 105-degree heat for a tailgate.
Westgate Entertainment District is walkable from the stadium and has air-conditioned restaurants and bars, a great alternative to outdoor tailgating in the heat.
Valley Metro light rail runs to the stadium from downtown Phoenix and Tempe. Takes about 30 minutes and avoids the Glendale traffic.
It is climate-controlled inside so dress for comfort. But the walk from parking to the gates in September is the part that will roast you.
The Valley Metro light rail stops near the stadium. It's a smart option to avoid game-day traffic and parking fees.
A generator is allowed up to 6500W, but the cord may not cross a drive aisle or sidewalk, so it has to sit on your side of the space.
Tailgating stops at kickoff, full stop. There is no post-game window here, unlike several other NFL venues.
Before the Game
The fuel rule at State Farm Stadium is the one to read first: natural gas and propane grills and heaters are permitted, and charcoal grills, pellet grills and oil fryers are not. Flames have to stay under control and may never sit under a tent. Tailgating runs from the opening of the Cardinals parking areas (four hours before kickoff) until kickoff only, with nothing during or after the game. A setup is limited to the area directly in front of or behind the vehicle and may not cross the red painted fire lanes, the sidewalks or the painted walkways. On the grass in Sportsman's Park you may put up one 10 by 10 shade tent, and a portable electric generator of 6500W or less is allowed provided its cord crosses no drive aisle.
Where to Tailgate
Sportsman's Park
The grass tailgating ground beside the stadium. The Sportsman's Park lots open four hours before kickoff for vehicles and guests alike, a 10 by 10 shade tent is permitted on the grass, and tailgating here is intended for gameday ticket members only.
Known for Grass tailgating · 10x10 shade tent allowed · Ticket members only
The team-controlled parking lots
The lots around the stadium, opening four hours before kickoff. A setup stays in the area directly in front of or behind the vehicle and must not extend past the red painted fire lanes or onto a sidewalk or painted walkway.
Known for Open 4 hours before · Front or back of the vehicle only
The red fire lanes
Painted red on the lot surface, and the hard edge of any setup. Tents and equipment may not extend beyond them, along sidewalks and painted walkways, or anywhere staff judge to be an obstruction.
Known for Painted red · Hard boundary for equipment
Pregame Rules
What State Farm Stadium allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Natural gas or propane grills and heaters are permitted. Charcoal and pellet grills and oil fryers are not permitted.
- Grill and heater flames must be kept under control at all times and must not be placed under tents.
- Sportsman's Park carparks open four hours prior to kickoff for both vehicles and guests.
- Tailgating is permitted from the opening of all Cardinals parking areas until kickoff only. Tailgating after the game has begun, or post-game, is not permitted.
- Tailgating in the parking lots is limited to the area directly in front of or behind the vehicle.
- Tents and tailgating equipment must not extend beyond the red painted fire lanes, along sidewalks and painted walkways, or into other areas deemed an obstruction by stadium staff.
- Fans may bring up to a 10' by 10' shade tent for use on the grass areas within Sportsman's Park.
- Small portable electric generators of 6500W or less are allowed, but electrical cords may not be placed across parking area drive aisles or any sidewalk, or create a trip hazard.
- Tailgating in Sportsman's Park or team-controlled parking areas, where permitted, is intended for gameday ticket members only.
Weather
State Farm Stadium has a retractable roof, so these are the conditions for the walk in and the pregame, and the roof decides the rest.
Across the NFL season the warmest month is September, with an average high of 98°F, and the coldest is December, when the average low is 40°F. January is the wettest month at 1.0 inches and October the driest at 0.6 inches.
That December low ranks 23rd coldest of the 32 NFL venues, and January here ranks 31st wettest.
September
0.7 inchesOctober
0.6 inchesNovember
0.6 inchesDecember
0.9 inchesJanuary
1.0 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food is prohibited except food for a child younger than 2 or a dietary or medical need arranged before game day.
- A card or a phone wallet
State Farm Stadium is fully cashless for Cardinals games, with contactless cards and mobile wallets accepted at fixed points of sale.
- A warm layer for the pregame
December nights average 40°F outside State Farm Stadium, whatever the roof does.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
September highs average 98°F outside State Farm Stadium, whatever the roof does.
Tailgate Gear
Lots open four hours before kickoff, ending at kickoff.
- A natural gas or propane grill: charcoal and pellet grills and oil fryers are all prohibited
- One 10 by 10 shade tent, for the grass in Sportsman's Park, with the grill kept out from under it
- A generator of 6500W or less, if you want one, with a cord that never crosses a drive aisle or sidewalk
- A setup that stops at the red painted fire lane
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: Check the specific Cardinals game listing for gate times: the general team guide lists main gates at 90 minutes before kickoff, but published event timelines can differ.
- Pregame
Arizona Cardinals official site, State Farm Stadium gameday policies
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Arizona Cardinals and State Farm Stadium gameday, A-Z, clear-bag, accessibility, and parking pages reviewed for visitor-facing policies.