Can't miss
- Pork roll, egg and cheese It's a Jersey lot, so the early crowd eats the Jersey breakfast sandwich off the griddle.
- J-E-T-S The spelled-out chant starts in the lots and doesn't stop at kickoff.
Quick answers
What time do the MetLife Stadium lots open for Jets games?
5 hours before kickoff, and they close 2 hours after the game. The Jets' Tailgate Zone outside the Verizon and MetLife Gates opens 3 hours before kickoff.
Can you grill at MetLife Stadium?
Yes, a safe distance from your car and never in the parking decks. Open fires, deep fryers and oil cooking are banned. Dump hot coals in the orange bins on the islands, not in a space or the trash.
Can you drink at Jets tailgates?
Drink responsibly: the NJ State Police and stadium staff enforce it in the lots. Inside, it's 2 drinks at a time, and general concessions stop alcohol sales at the start of the 3rd quarter.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate?
The official pages don't say a ticket is required in the lots. They do say every car needs a prepaid pass, and at Jets games you can re-enter the stadium up to 1 hour before kickoff.
How do you buy parking?
In advance, through the parking link on the Jets' gameday guide. There are no hangtags this year. Without a pass you may have to use the off-site lot at 20 Murray Hill Parkway, which runs a shuttle to Lot G.
Where to park
Your pass is a tier, not a spot. Platinum gets you into any Platinum lot and Gold into any Gold lot, first come, first served.
- Platinum
- Lots E, F and G, right around the stadium.
- Gold
- Lots B, D, J, K, L, M, P, 26 and 27, plus Deck A and Deck BC by American Dream.
- No pass
- The off-site lot at 20 Murray Hill Parkway, East Rutherford, open for Jets games, with a shuttle to Lot G.
- No tailgating
- The Arena-side parking garages and the marked non-tailgating area of Lot G.
- Accessible
- Accessible spaces are marked in Lots E, F and G on the 2026 Jets map.
- Rideshare
- Lot E off West Peripheral Road, outside the Verizon Gate.
Big group? The Jets point crews to the paved islands between lots, and the stadium allows tailgating on the medians along the roadways.
Patrols enforce one car, one spot. An extra pass doesn't buy an extra space next to you.
No car? NJ TRANSIT runs trains to Secaucus Junction on game days, where you switch to the shuttle train to Meadowlands station. Coach USA's 351 Meadowlands Express runs from Port Authority to the stadium.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 29, 2026 against metlifestadium.com, newyorkjets.com (2026 gameday guide), njtransit.com and coachusa.com.
The MetLife rulebook is about footprint and fire. Know the 8 x 8 and the orange bins before you unload.
- Grills
- A safe distance from your car. Not near buildings and never in the parking decks.
- Coals
- Hot coals go in the orange bins on the islands. Never in a space, under a car or in the trash.
- Alcohol
- Enforced by the NJ State Police and stadium staff. Inside: 2 drinks at a time, sales stop at the 3rd quarter.
- Tents
- No canopy bigger than an 8 x 8 foot footprint in a lined space.
- Your space
- One car, one space: the lined spot plus the area in front of or behind it.
- Sound
- Speakers under 65 decibels, per New Jersey ordinance.
- Not allowed
- Open fires, deep fryers and oil cooking, drones and kites, ball playing in the lots, outside caterers, and commercial tailgating.
- Bags at the gate
- One clear bag up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches. Non-clear bags no bigger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
- Gates open
- 2 hours before kickoff. At Jets games you can re-enter up to 1 hour before kickoff.
Before you go
MetLife Stadium tailgating policyMetLife Stadium NFL parkingJets 2026 gameday guideNJ TRANSIT to the Meadowlands2026 Jets parking map (PDF)Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for East Rutherford
What we'd bring.
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New York Jets 3x5 Flag
$26.79
Ships free
Your team's 3x5 flag with metal grommets. Hang it and your crew finds your spot in the lot.
-
Sampler, 8 Rubs
$47.99
Ships free
Eight rubs in one box, so the grill gets a new one every Saturday. It's the seasoning we use.
More for this lot
-
Taiga 27 qt Hard Cooler, 24 Cans$199 · Ships free
-
Monument G22 Tabletop Gas Grill, 2 Burners$199 · Ships free
Where the party is
Jets Sundays fill the same lots the Giants use, plus one Jets-only stop: the team's Tailgate Zone outside the Verizon and MetLife Gates. Everything else happens one parking space at a time.
The team's own
The Jets Tailgate Zone
Outside the Verizon and MetLife Gates, open 3 hours before kickoff. No setup required.
The stadium's pick
The Lot F beer garden
The stadium runs a beer garden in Platinum Lot F at Jets games, steps from the gates.
Room for the crew
The islands
The paved islands between lots are where the Jets send big groups.
What to eat
It's a Jersey lot, so the grill turns out sausage and peppers on a roll, and the early crowd gets pork roll, egg and cheese.
Cook thisHam, egg and cheese sandwichesGetting out
Postgame, the train platform and the highways load up together. Your options, best first:
- Take the train. Meadowlands station sits next to the stadium. Ride the shuttle train to Secaucus Junction, and buy the event ticket in the NJ TRANSIT app ahead of time.
- Take the bus. Coach USA's 351 heads back to Port Authority from Lot K.
- Stay put. Lots stay open 2 hours after the game. Eat the leftovers and let the roads clear.
Skip this
Count on a quick rideshare from Lot E. The zone is outside the Verizon Gate, and so is everyone else who had the same idea.
First time here?
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
No pass? NJ Transit's Meadowlands Rail Line runs from Secaucus Junction to the stadium on game days. Start at the Lot F beer garden.
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Your MetLife Stadium game-day sheet, by email
One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.
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