SoFi Stadium Game Day Guide
Los Angeles Chargers · Inglewood, CA
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Permitted bags include a clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches and a small non-clear bag no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
One-gallon clear freezer bags are allowed; medically necessary items and diaper supplies require additional screening and a bag tag.
- Bag storage
SoFi Stadium offers four exterior bag-valet locations for non-compliant bags during select events for a nominal fee.
Valued SoFi cardholders may check a bag free; consult the event's Know Before You Go notice because locations can vary.
- Gate opening
SoFi Stadium publishes an NFL entry-gate window of two to three hours before kickoff.
Confirm the exact time in the Chargers game details or pre-event notice because the opening can vary by event.
- Mobile tickets
Chargers tickets are mobile-only through Chargers Account Manager or the Chargers app; PDF and print-at-home tickets are not accepted.
Screenshots do not work because barcodes rotate; save the ticket to a mobile wallet before arriving when possible.
- Re-entry
Guests may not leave and re-enter SoFi Stadium with the same ticket.
In an emergency, a Guest Experience representative or Security Supervisor may authorize re-entry at the same gate before the guest exits.
- Prohibited items
SoFi Stadium prohibits weapons, fireworks, drones, noisemakers, laser pointers, hard-sided coolers, non-compliant bags, strollers, laptops, and other listed items.
Review the full stadium list and the event's Know Before You Go notice before leaving home because event-specific restrictions may be added.
- First aid
First-aid rooms are published on Floors 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8, and EMTs are on site for medical emergencies.
Contact the nearest Guest Experience representative, usher, or stadium employee for immediate assistance.
- Nursing and lactation
Mamava lactation suites are on Level 4 South, Level 6 Main Concourse, and Level 8 Upper Concourse.
Guests may also nurse in any First Aid room or family restroom; suites include seating, outlets, lighting, a USB port, and limited supplies.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are reserved for guests with small children and guests with disabilities and are available throughout SoFi Stadium.
Baby-changing stations are installed in every public restroom; ask Guest Services or use the stadium app for the nearest location.
- Tickets for children
Every guest age 3 or older needs a ticket for a Chargers game at SoFi Stadium.
- Guest services
Guest Services Centers and Guest Experience representatives are positioned throughout SoFi Stadium.
During NFL games, text a brief description of the issue and your location to 424-541-9222 for discreet assistance.
- Service animals
Task-trained service dogs and miniature horses are permitted; comfort and emotional-support animals are not.
Ask Guest Experience staff for directions to the service-animal relief area.
- Smoking and vaping
SoFi Stadium and the entire Hollywood Park campus are smoke-free inside and outside.
The prohibition includes electronic cigarettes, vaporizers, marijuana, and smokeless tobacco.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at SoFi Stadium, hour by hour.
Parking Lots Open
Hollywood Park parking zones open. Early arrivals set up tailgates in the lots surrounding the stadium as the SoCal sun warms the Inglewood air.
Hollywood Park Comes Alive
Lake Park and the surrounding Hollywood Park restaurants and bars fill with Chargers fans in powder blue. The pregame scene is relaxed and SoCal-casual.
Gates Open
Stadium gates open. Head in early to explore SoFi's stunning architecture, the Oculus video board, and the open-air concourses with views of the Inglewood sky.
Player Warmups
Players take the field for stretching and warmups under the ETFE canopy. The natural light filtering through the translucent roof creates a unique atmosphere.
Find Your Seats
Grab your fish tacos and settle in. The Chargers' pregame hype video plays on the massive Oculus, the largest video board in the NFL.
Game Time
The Chargers take the field in powder blue. The growing fanbase brings increasing energy, and the open-air design lets the LA breeze flow through on warm days.
Exit Strategy
Head to the rideshare zone or walk to Hollywood Park restaurants for post-game dining. The K Line shuttle runs for 90 minutes after the game. LA traffic clears faster than you'd expect, most fans are dispersed within 45 minutes.
Tips & Fan Reports
Walk around the Pink Lot tailgate and bring some cash. There's no food for sale officially but donations are appreciated - be cool and polite and you'll walk into SoFi with a full stomach.
Show up no later than 1.5 hours before kickoff. Pregame in the tailgate section before you go inside - it is free and really chill. Buy a 6-pack and drink before the game then just buy a tall can in the second quarter.
Park at the Hollywood Park casino lot. It is a 10 minute walk but $20-30 cheaper than the SoFi lots. Pre-pay online to guarantee a spot.
The Oculus is the largest video board in the NFL. Look up. It's stunning from every seat in the stadium.
Sunscreen is essential for afternoon games, even with the canopy, SoCal sun is strong and the sides are open.
SoFi Stadium is open-air with an ETFE canopy, you're protected from direct sun and light rain, but open to the breeze. Dress for the LA weather.
The Oculus video board is the largest in the NFL. Look up when you first walk in. It is stunning from every seat and the replays are insane.
SoFi is technically open-air. The ETFE canopy blocks direct sun but you still feel the temperature. Afternoon games can be warm.
Arrive more than an hour before kickoff. Later than that and the stadium may move you to a non-tailgating lot regardless of your pass.
Do not plan to cook. Charcoal grills, wood stoves, oil fryers and open-pit fires are all prohibited. This is a bring-it-ready tailgate rather than a cooking one.
Before the Game
Tailgating at a Chargers game is a pass you buy, not a thing you do. It is allowed only in designated lots and only for ticketed guests holding a tailgating pass, laid out in 9 by 18 foot spaces, and for select events only the Hyundai Pink zone opens for it. The bigger surprise is cooking: charcoal grills, wood stoves, oil fryers and open-pit fires are all prohibited, so this is a tailgate you arrive with rather than one you cook. Access is first come, first served with no in-and-out, and turning up less than an hour before kickoff can see you relocated to a non-tailgating lot.
Where to Tailgate
Designated tailgating lots
Tailgating happens only in designated parking lots, and only for ticketed guests who bought a tailgating pass. Those lots are laid out in 9ft by 18ft spaces, and access is first come, first served with no in-and-out privileges once you are in.
Known for Tailgate pass required · 9ft x 18ft spaces · No in-and-out
The Hyundai Pink parking zone
For select events, tailgating is permitted only in the Hyundai Pink zone. Which lots open for tailgating varies by event rather than being fixed, so the zone on your pass is the thing to check.
Known for Select events only · Varies by event
The non-tailgating lots
The rest of the Hollywood Park lots, where no coolers, tents, tables or chairs may be placed on the ground behind, in front of or around a parked vehicle. Arriving less than an hour before kickoff can get you relocated to one of these.
Known for Nothing on the ground · Where late arrivals go
Pregame Rules
What SoFi Stadium allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Tailgating is allowed only in designated parking lots and other areas, for ticketed guests who have purchased a tailgating pass.
- Tailgating is permitted in the Hyundai Pink parking zone for select events, and designated tailgating lots have 9ft by 18ft parking spaces.
- Charcoal grills, wood stoves, oil fryers, open-pit fires and other cooking stations are prohibited.
- Electrical cords may not be placed across parking areas or drive aisles, or anywhere they would create a hazard for guests.
- All tailgate activities must cease by kickoff, within the time period designated by SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.
- Guests arriving later than one hour before the posted kickoff time may be relocated to a non-tailgating lot.
- Access to tailgating areas is first come, first served. There are no in-and-out privileges, and saving parking spaces for other guests is prohibited.
- No coolers, tents, tables, chairs or similar items may be placed on the ground behind, in front of or around parked vehicles except within the designated tailgating zone.
- Portable public address systems are not permitted, and amplified sound systems may not be used at excessive volume.
Weather
SoFi 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 79°F, and the coldest is December, when the average low is 49°F. January is the wettest month at 2.7 inches and September the driest at 0.2 inches.
That December low ranks 29th coldest of the 32 NFL venues, and January here ranks 28th wettest.
September
0.2 inchesOctober
0.5 inchesNovember
0.7 inchesDecember
2.2 inchesJanuary
2.7 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and drinks are prohibited except medically necessary items, infant formula or food, and the stadium's permitted water containers.
- A card or a phone wallet
SoFi Stadium is cashless, with credit, debit, gift cards, and mobile payment accepted at points of sale.
- A warm layer for after dark
December nights average 49°F at SoFi Stadium.
Tailgate Gear
Lots open within the window SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park designate, ending at kickoff.
- A tailgating pass: a parking pass alone does not permit a setup
- Food that needs no cooking: charcoal, wood, oil fryers and open-pit fires are all prohibited
- A setup that fits a 9 by 18 foot space inside the designated zone
- Everything you need in one trip, since there are no in-and-out privileges
- No portable PA system, and sound kept off excessive volume
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: SoFi Stadium publishes an NFL entry-gate window of two to three hours before kickoff.
- Pregame
SoFi Stadium official site, Plan Your Visit: NFL Tailgating Policies
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Los Angeles Chargers and SoFi Stadium ticketing, parking, accessibility, A-Z, and stadium-policy pages reviewed for visitor-facing policies.