MetLife Stadium Game Day Guide
New York Giants · East Rutherford, NJ
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Each guest may bring one clear bag no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, one small non-clear bag no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag.
Medically necessary items are allowed after inspection at a designated gate.
- Bag storage
Oversized bags may be checked free for NFL games at a Bag Check Facility outside each open gate.
Guests may instead return a non-compliant bag to their vehicle before entering.
- Gate opening
MetLife Stadium gates normally open two hours before kickoff for Giants games.
Confirm the time on the specific game page because event details can override the general schedule.
- Mobile tickets
Giants game tickets are mobile-only through the Giants app or mobile Giants Account; printed PDF tickets are invalid.
Screenshots are not accepted because barcodes refresh; view the ticket before leaving home or save it to Apple Wallet or Google Pay.
- Re-entry
MetLife Stadium does not permit guests to leave and re-enter during Giants games.
- Prohibited items
MetLife Stadium prohibits weapons, fireworks, umbrellas, strollers, drones, noisemakers, non-compliant bags, coolers, professional cameras, and other listed items.
Check the game-specific Know Before You Go notice because the venue may add event restrictions.
- First aid
First Aid rooms are near Sections 103, 128, 301, and 326 and on the Service Level in the AMEX corner.
Doctors, nurses, EMTs, and additional response teams are on site for basic and emergency medical needs.
- Nursing and lactation
A nursing station is outside Sections 142 and 143, with Mamava pods near Sections 117 and 118, Sections 249a and 250a, and the HCLTech Gate elevator lobby on the 200 Concourse.
Ask any Guest Services team member for the access key or code.
- Family restrooms
Private, accessible single-user restrooms are available on every level of MetLife Stadium.
General-bowl locations include MetLife West Hall near Section 134 and multiple rooms on the 100, 200, and 300 Concourses; Guest Services can provide access.
- Tickets for children
Children 34 inches tall or shorter may enter free but must share a seat with a ticketed adult.
- Guest services
Permanent Guest Services Booths are near Sections 124, 149, 227, 249, 303, 324, 328, and 349, with portable booths inside major gates.
For discreet event-day help, text "Alert MLS" to 848261 or call 201-559-1515.
- Service animals
Task-trained service dogs, miniature horses, and service animals in training are permitted; emotional-support animals are not.
The animal must remain leashed for the duration of the visit.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking and vaping are permitted only along the Plaza Level fence line.
Smoking is prohibited in East Hall, MetLife West Hall, and on or near stairways, ramps, and escalators.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at MetLife Stadium, hour by hour.
Tailgate Scene Peaks
The lots fill with blue jerseys and the smell of Italian sausage, burgers, and deli sandwiches. Giants tailgating is more family-friendly than raucous, kids tossing footballs, older fans telling stories about LT and the '86 team.
Gates Open
Stadium gates open. Head inside to explore the Giants Legacy Club, browse the team shop, or grab a NY-style pizza slice at the concourse.
Player Warmups
Players take the field for warmups. Lower bowl seats offer the best view of pregame routines.
Find Your Seats
Grab your game-day food and settle in. The Giants faithful start to fill the bowl and the atmosphere builds toward kickoff.
Game Time
82,500 fans strong, one of the largest stadiums in the NFL. The Giants crowd is intense when the team is competitive, with a deep football knowledge that shows in every reaction.
Exit Strategy
NJ Transit trains run for 2 hours after the game. If driving, expect 30-60 minutes to exit the lots. Many Giants families continue tailgating post-game before heading home.
Tips & Fan Reports
Season ticket holder for 12 years. Best thing to do is have a great tailgate outside, go in full because the food is meh. Prepare for a 30-minute walk from the lot to your seats.
Allow enough time to park, set up your grill (charcoal takes longer than propane), cook and pack so you can get through security and in your seats before kickoff. Lots open 5 hours before kickoff.
NJ Transit from Penn Station is the only sane way to get there from Manhattan. No traffic, no tolls, no parking. Train drops you at the gate.
Wind at MetLife is brutal. It sits in the Meadowlands with nothing blocking the wind. Late-season games need serious layering.
Wear Giants blue, not green. This isn't a Jets game. The rivalry between the two fanbases sharing one stadium is very real.
Tailgating in the MetLife lots is a full-blown event. Arrive 3 hours early. The Izod Center lot has the most room.
Dress in layers, East Rutherford weather can swing from pleasant to freezing, especially late in the season.
A vehicle over 18 feet long or 8 feet wide cannot use a lined space, so an RV or long van needs a different plan entirely.
Measure the canopy: 8 by 8 feet is the cap, smaller than the 10 by 10 most stadiums allow.
The medians are the trick here. MetLife permits tailgating on the strips between the lots and the roadways, which most stadiums do not, so a group with more gear than bay should aim for one.
Before the Game
Giants tailgating runs across the whole MetLife Sports Complex: every parking lot permits it, and so, unusually, do the medians dividing the lots from the roadways. That extra ground is the reason a large Giants tailgate can spread out here in a way it cannot at most stadiums, because your own footprint is otherwise capped at the lined bay plus the strip directly ahead of or behind the car. Canopies stop at 8 by 8 feet and anything over 18 feet long or 8 wide cannot take a lined space at all. Grills are fine at a safe distance from the vehicle, though never in the parking decks, and deep fryers are prohibited outright.
Where to Tailgate
MetLife Sports Complex lots
Every parking lot in the complex permits tailgating. A setup stays inside the lined space plus the area immediately in front of or behind the vehicle, so the usable footprint is your own bay rather than a shared strip.
Known for All lots tailgate · Lined space plus front or back · 8ft x 8ft canopy cap
The medians between lots and roadways
MetLife explicitly permits tailgating on the medians separating the parking lots from the roadways, the extra ground that most stadiums treat as off-limits, and the reason a big group can spread out here.
Known for Tailgating permitted · Extra space beyond your bay
The parking decks
Covered parking in the complex, where grills and other heating devices are not allowed at all. Shelter and a shorter walk, at the cost of any cooking.
Known for No grills or heaters · Covered
Hot charcoal bins on the islands
Large orange bins on the islands and paved areas between the lots. Coals go in these. Disposing of them in an open parking space, under a vehicle or next to a parked car can get you towed at your own expense.
Known for Large orange bins · Between the lots · Towing offence to ignore
Pregame Rules
What MetLife Stadium allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Tailgating is permitted in all MetLife Sports Complex parking lots, and on the medians that separate the parking lots from the roadways.
- Grills are permitted provided they are used at a safe distance from your vehicle. Use of grills near buildings, or where other guests or property may be damaged, is strictly prohibited.
- Grills and other heating devices are not allowed in the parking decks.
- Deep fryers and any oil-based cooking or frying are prohibited.
- Tailgating should be limited to the lined parking space and the area directly behind or in front of each vehicle.
- 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.
- Disposal of hot coals in open parking spaces, under vehicles, or next to parked vehicles is prohibited. Large orange hot-charcoal bins are provided on the islands and paved areas between the lots.
- Any violation of law or tailgating policies may result in the vehicle being towed at the owner's expense, loss of the parking permit, and ejection.
Weather
MetLife 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 78°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 26°F. September is the wettest month at 4.1 inches and November the driest at 3.3 inches.
That January low ranks 13th coldest of the 32 NFL venues, and September here ranks 16th wettest.
September
4.1 inchesOctober
3.7 inchesNovember
3.3 inchesDecember
4.1 inchesJanuary
3.3 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Guests outside suites may bring food of any kind in a clear plastic bag.
- A card or a phone wallet
MetLife Stadium is cash-free and accepts major credit and debit cards plus Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Layers, gloves and a hat
January lows average 26°F, and the seats are open to it.
- A poncho, not an umbrella
Umbrellas are on MetLife Stadium's prohibited list, and September averages 4.1 inches of rain.
Tailgate Gear
Lots open when the complex lots open, ending at kickoff.
- A grill you can run a safe distance from the car, and not in a parking deck
- A canopy no larger than 8 by 8 feet, which is tighter than most stadiums allow
- A metal bucket or scoop to carry coals to the orange hot-charcoal bin on the island
- No deep fryer: oil-based cooking is prohibited across the complex
- A setup that stays inside your lined bay plus the ground directly ahead of or behind it
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: MetLife Stadium gates normally open two hours before kickoff for Giants games.
- Pregame
MetLife Stadium official site, Plan Your Visit: Parking & Tailgating (tailgating policies and parking lot guidelines)
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
New York Giants and MetLife Stadium ticketing, parking, accessibility, A-Z, and guest-policy pages reviewed for visitor-facing policies.