San Jose Sharks
SAP Center, San Jose, CA
- Capacity
- 17,562
- Roof
- Indoor
- Surface
- Ice
- Opened
- 1993
- Tickets
- $20+
- Parking
- $10+
- Beer
- $13.49+
- Food
- $6+
- Est. total
- $49.49+
Against the other 31 NHL arenas, SAP Center is the 3rd cheapest game day: 3rd for tickets, joint 8th for parking and joint 15th for food and drink, compared on market ticket medians and published lot and menu prices in US dollars. See the full ranking.
Prices are estimates. See our methodology.
What to Expect
SAP Center, the Shark Tank, sits near Diridon Station in western downtown San Jose. The Sharks have one of the most passionate fanbases in the NHL, famous for the Shark Fin Chomp, teal jerseys, and the legendary Shark Head entrance. The pregame scene centers on the bars and restaurants along San Pedro Square and Santa Clara Street. SAP Center is one of the loudest arenas in hockey during playoff runs. Games run about 2.5 hours in regulation. Silicon Valley weather means comfortable outdoor pregame year-round.
View Seating GuideTips & Fan Reports
Game Day
A smaller 5 by 9 by 2 bag still gets you through faster, which is the arena's own advice.
This is the most bag-friendly arena on the site by a wide margin: up to 20 by 14 by 11 inches is accommodated, where most arenas cap at a clutch.
Doors open 15 minutes earlier for Sharks 365 members, and everything shifts 15 minutes earlier again at weekends.
Parking & Directions
Pro tip - you can drink on the Caltrain. Grab a tallboy and enjoy the ride in if you are coming from outside San Jose. The future is bright here and the fans are real.
Caltrain serves Diridon Station across the street; VTA light rail serves nearby Diridon and San Fernando/Delmas stations.
Lots typically open two hours before events.
Food & Drinks
Garlic fries are the must-eat at SAP Center. Everyone around you will smell them. It's part of the experience.
Bay Area craft beer is world-class. The rotating local taps are always worth trying.
San Pedro Square Market has better food at lower prices than the arena. Eat pregame if you can.
Seating
The Sharks attack towards the lower numbered sections (103-113 and 203-213) in the 1st and 3rd periods. Sit on that side for the best action.
Legends Level access is prioritised through a Sharks365 or Premium Membership, or by a refundable $500 deposit. It is a waiting list rather than a ticket you simply buy.
The Penthouse Lounge is the established premium product: four- or six-person theatre boxes with chef-inspired food and a private bar.
General
Check the SAP Center bag policy before you go. The arena is in downtown San Jose so there are plenty of good restaurants within walking distance for pregame food.
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Bags up to 20 x 14 x 11 inches are permitted if they fit under the seat; bags larger than 5 x 9 x 2 inches receive X-ray screening.
Clear bags and backpacks are allowed within the size limit, while medical and parenting bags are permitted regardless of size after X-ray screening and tagging.
- Gate opening
General-public doors open 60 minutes before weekday Sharks games and 75 minutes before Friday afternoon, Saturday, Sunday, and holiday games.
Sharks365 members may enter 15 minutes before the applicable general-public door time.
- Venue payments
SAP Center is near-cashless and uses credit cards as its primary payment method.
Reverse ATMs near the North and South Entrances convert cash to prepaid cards; the Ticket Office is the stated cash exception.
- Re-entry
SAP Center generally does not allow re-entry during events.
A guest with an emergency should visit the North or South Information Desk for assistance.
Guides for SAP Center
- Game Day Guide
7 steps from arrival to puck drop, and 22 venue rules checked against official sources. 3 bars, patios and plazas to fill the hours before doors, and what to bring.
- Parking & Directions
2 lots and garages with distances and entry routes, from $10. Or leave the car: the cheapest way in is VTA Light Rail to SAP Center/Arena Station, $2.50.
- Food & Drinks
48 concession stands and 87 items researched from the venue's own menus, cheapest food $6 and drink $5.19.
- Seating Guide
8 seating areas at SAP Center, with the level names printed on the ticket.
- Cost Calculator
Build a total for your own party using SAP Center's stored figures.
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.
- Venue facts
Wikipedia / Official Venue Page
- Drink prices
SAP Center 2026: 20oz draft beer $13.49, 1L Smartwater $7.69, 20oz Dasani $5.19
- Venue policies
Current SAP Center arena FAQ, bag, accessibility, parking, prohibited-items, mobile-ticketing, and San Jose Sharks concessions pages reviewed for Sharks policies.
Not yet checked against a published source
These figures are estimates. Most venues no longer publish the numbers behind them (concession and ticket pricing moved to dynamic marketplaces), so we hold them as estimates rather than dating them as verified.
- Ticket prices: Secondary market averages (SeatGeek/StubHub)
- Parking prices: Never checked against a published rate: the venue's parking page, read 2026-09-05, publishes none. A page titled Parking, Pricing, and Directions gives the opening time and the prepaid ABC Lot and no price. The 2026-07-27 figures were compiled from third-party listings (was: "SAP Center 2026: the on-site ABC Lot runs $25-$35 per event, $30 and up typical; season ticket holders prepay for guaranteed ABC spaces").
- Food prices: Team Marketing Report FCI + venue research