Can You Tailgate at the Rose Bowl? UCLA Lots & Rules

Can't miss

The Bruin Walk UCLA's players come in on foot through a crowd of fans and the band outside Gate A.
A lap of the Rose Bowl Loop Early? The 3.3-mile loop circles the stadium and Brookside Golf Course, it's free, and the San Gabriel Mountains sit right behind it.
Colorado Boulevard the night before Old Pasadena sits on the Rose Parade route. Eat there the night before and you've walked the same street the floats do on New Year's Day.

Quick answers

What time do the Rose Bowl lots open for UCLA games?

6 hours before game time, and they close 90 minutes after the game ends. There's no in-and-out, so whatever you need comes in with you.

Can you grill at UCLA tailgates?

Yes, as long as the grill is raised off the ground. Open flames aren't allowed in any tailgate or parking area, charcoal goes in the designated bins, and charcoal grills are banned in the RV area on West Drive.

Can you drink at UCLA tailgates?

Not after kickoff: alcohol in the tailgating areas stops then. No glass, no drinking games or paraphernalia, and no underage drinking. The Bruin Beer Garden in the Lot H Fan Zone is 21 and over.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at the Rose Bowl?

UCLA's tailgating rules don't ask for one, and the Lot H Fan Zone is open to the public. You do need a parking pass for the lots, and a ticket to get into the stadium.

How do you buy parking for UCLA games?

General parking is first come, bought ahead at a discount or on game day. Season ticket members and donors use Lots I, K, F and G. Or park at the Parsons lot in Old Pasadena and ride the free shuttle to Lot B.

Where to park

You park on the grass and blacktop around the Rose Bowl and tailgate at your car. First come, no saved spaces.

General: First come. Buy ahead for the discounted rate, or on game day.
Grass lots: Lots 5B and up on the west side and Lots 1A and up on the north side. Tents go only on grass lots.
Donor lots: Season ticket members and Wooden Athletic Fund donors park in Lots I, K, F and G.
RV / oversize: Enter from the west side. RV parking is on West Drive, where charcoal grills aren't allowed.
Parsons shuttle: Park at 100 W Walnut St in Old Pasadena. The free shuttle to Lot B starts 3 hours before kickoff.
Accessible: ADA parking in Lots B, D and F, first come, with ADA drop-off and pick-up in Lot B.

Rose Bowl Stadium game-day parking, simplified

See the official Rose Bowl Stadium parking map

Rolling in with more than one car? Enter the lots together, caravan style, to park side by side.
No box trucks, trailers, grills in tow or outside caterers in the lots.
No car? Rideshare can't drop off at the stadium during UCLA games. Take it to the Parsons lot in Old Pasadena and ride the free shuttle to Lot B.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 29, 2026 against uclabruins.com, Visit Pasadena (2026 football season guide), the Daily Bruin (Oct. 25, 2019) and Go Joe Bruin (Aug. 16, 2012).

UCLA posts its tailgating rules plainly, and breaking them can cost you your tickets. Here's the list.

Grills: Raised off the ground. No open flames. Charcoal in the designated bins, and no charcoal grills on West Drive.
Alcohol: None in the tailgating areas after kickoff. No drinking games or paraphernalia, no glass, no underage drinking.
Tents: 10 x 10 or smaller, in front of or behind your car, and only on grass lots.
Your space: In front of or behind your vehicle. Roads, aisles and other spaces stay clear.
Music: No amplified music, and nothing with inappropriate language.
Not allowed: Box trucks, trailers, grills in tow, outside catering, selling, and overnight parking outside RV lots.
When it ends: Lots close 90 minutes after the game. Clean up before you go in; tied trash bags can stay at your spot.
Bags at the gate: Clear, 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a 1-gallon freezer bag, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Bag check at Gates A and D.
Gates open: 90 minutes before kickoff. No re-entry.

Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

UCLA football tailgating UCLA Gameday Information UCLA Football Gameday Central 2026 UCLA football season parking map

Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.

Pack for Pasadena

What we'd bring.

Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45

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Sampler, 8 Rubs
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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 55 qt Hard Cooler, 60 Cans$299 · Ships free
Monument G22 Tabletop Gas Grill, 2 Burners$199 · Ships free
Scorezit Cornhole Scorekeeper Set$140 · +$15 shipping
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Shipping and returns

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Where the party is

The Rose Bowl sits in the Arroyo Seco with a golf course for a backyard, and the west and north lots are grass. That's where the tents go up, in front of or behind the car, from 6 hours out.

The front door

The Lot H Fan Zone

Just outside Gates A and B along Rosemont Ave and Arroyo Blvd. Open to the public from 4 hours 15 minutes to 15 minutes before kickoff, with the 21 and over Bruin Beer Garden, food and the alumni band in Area H.

The grass

The west and north lots

Lots 5B and up on the west side and 1A and up on the north side are grass, the only lots where tents are allowed.

The moment

The Bruin Walk

The team arrives outside Gate A with the band and spirit squad about 2 hours 40 minutes before kickoff, and fans are invited to line up.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Inside, Visit Pasadena says the stadium's signature hot dogs and bratwursts come from Dog Haus, a Pasadena-born chain. For the lot, a UCLA fan blog urged tailgaters back in 2012 not to eat the same boring hot dogs and hamburgers every week, and to put breakfast on the side burner.

Cook thisQuesabirria tacos

Getting out

The lots stay open 90 minutes after the game, so there's no need to sprint. Your options, best first:

Ride the shuttle to Old Pasadena. The free shuttle runs from Lot B back to the Parsons lot, where rideshare is welcome.
Hang at the car. You've got 90 minutes before the lots close. Break down the tent, bag the trash and let the lines shrink.
Call a rideshare from Parsons. Rideshare isn't allowed at the stadium during UCLA games, so it's the shuttle first either way.
Skip this
Pull out at the final whistle. Along with most of the stadium.

First time here?

Line up outside Gate A for the Bruin Walk, about 2 hours 40 minutes before kickoff.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

Start at the Lot H Fan Zone outside Gates A and B along Rosemont Ave and Arroyo Blvd. It's open to the public, with food vendors, exhibits and beer gardens, Visit Pasadena says. Wear blue and gold; the same guide says to leave your cardinal red at home.

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