Can't miss
- A field that rolls in The Cardinals' grass grows outside in the Arizona sun on a giant tray and rolls into the stadium for games. You'll walk past the field's parking spot on the way in.
Quick answers
What time do the State Farm Stadium lots open?
4 hours before kickoff, and the Great Lawn opens with them. The oversized Lot F opens 4.5 hours before. Lots close 1 hour after the game, and tailgating ends at kickoff.
Can you grill at State Farm Stadium?
Yes, with propane or natural gas. Charcoal grills, pellet grills and oil fryers are banned, and grills and heaters never go under a tent.
Can you drink at Cardinals tailgates?
Yes, within reason. No excessive or underage drinking, no drinking games and no glass. There's an alcohol-free tailgate zone in the Green East carpark.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate?
Yes. Tailgating in Sportsman's Park is for game-day ticket holders, and you need a parking pass to park.
How do you buy parking?
Pre-sold permits and single-game passes live in the Cardinals app under "My Tickets." No pass? The Black Lot, south of the stadium, is for day-of parking. It's all cashless.
Where to park
Parking is digital and cashless. Your pass, in the Cardinals app, tells you which lot entry to use.
- Black Lot
- Day-of parking for fans without a pre-sold permit, south of the stadium across Cardinals Way.
- Preferred
- Enter only at Maryland Ave and 95th Ave. From the south, exit Loop 101 at Cardinals Way.
- General lots
- Reach them via Camelback Rd from Loop 101, or from 91st Ave. Then follow the boards and parking staff.
- Oversized
- Lot F only, with a Lot F Oversized Vehicle pass. Opens 4.5 hours before kickoff, spaces up to 45 feet. No trailers.
- Accessible
- ADA spaces in every lot, with a state hangtag or plate. Courtesy carts run to the plaza from 2 hours before the game.
- Rideshare
- Drop-off and pickup are in the Black Lot, south of the stadium.
Arrive together if you want to park together. Spaces can't be saved.
Don't line up on city streets before the lots open. It isn't allowed.
No car? Rideshare drop-off and pickup are in the Black Lot. From halftime until an hour after the game, drivers can only reach it by Camelback Rd to 95th Ave.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against azcardinals.com.
The Cardinals publish a detailed rulebook. These are the lines that shape your setup.
- Grills
- Propane or natural gas only. No charcoal, pellet grills or oil fryers, and no grill or heater under a tent.
- Alcohol
- No excessive or underage drinking, no drinking games, no glass.
- Tents
- Up to 10 x 10 feet, held down with above-ground weights only, inside the red fire lane.
- Your space
- One pass, one stall: 8.5 x 18 feet, plus 5 feet up to the red fire lane. No tailgating in empty stalls.
- Who's allowed
- Tailgating in Sportsman's Park is for game-day ticket holders.
- Not allowed
- Drones, PA systems, DJs, amplified instruments, golf carts, scooters, bikes and generators over 6,500W.
- When it ends
- Kickoff. Lots close 1 hour after the game.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 12 x 6 inches (clear backpacks count), or a 1-gallon freezer bag, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
- Gates open
- 90 minutes before kickoff. No re-entry.
Before you go
Cardinals tailgating guidelinesCardinals parking and directionsState Farm Stadium policiesThe Great LawnClear bag policyOfficial pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Glendale
What we'd bring.
-
Arizona Cardinals 3x5 Flag
$24.79
Ships free
Your team's 3x5 flag with metal grommets. Hang it and your crew finds your spot in the lot.
-
ExtremeMist Portable Misting System Kit, 170 PSI, 16 to 24 ft
$239
Ships free
Clips along a 10x10 canopy and runs from a bucket or cooler of water, with no spigot or outlet needed.
More for this lot
-
Monument G22 Tabletop Gas Grill, 2 Burners$199 · Ships free
-
Taiga 55 qt Hard Cooler, 60 Cans$299 · Ships free
- The Game Day Starter, $582Arizona Vintage Gameday cornhole boards, a Taiga 27 qt hard cooler and a Scorezit scorekeeper, in one cart. Shop the kit
Early-season games in Glendale can be hot at tailgate time. Bring shade, sunscreen and more water than you think.
Where the party is
Sportsman's Park runs one window: lots and the Great Lawn open 4 hours out, and everything stops at kickoff. You get an 8.5-foot stall and up to a 10 x 10 tent, so shade is the first thing that goes up.
The front yard
The Great Lawn
More than 8 acres of grass with room to tailgate, plus the Great Lawn Stage, with performances before every game. It opens with the lots.
Free and shaded
Heritage Beer Garden
A lawn, patio and pergola with TVs for the early games. Free, first come, first served, and it opens with the lots.
The dry zone
Green East
The Green East carpark holds the alcohol-free tailgate zone, for families or anyone who wants one.
What to eat
Propane and natural gas only, so the flat-top and the gas grill do the work. Cook for your own crew: selling food, collecting "donations" or hiring a caterer is banned.
Cook thisSonoran hot dogsGetting out
Lots close 1 hour after the game, so there's no waiting out traffic in a lawn chair. Your options, best first:
- Rideshare from the Black Lot. Pickup is south of the stadium. From halftime until an hour after the game, drivers can only get there by Camelback Rd to 95th Ave, so tell yours.
- Follow police and parking staff. Glendale police and Cardinals parking staff run traffic around the stadium. Their directions beat your map app.
- Settle the ride before kickoff. Pick a sober driver or a rideshare meeting spot while everyone still remembers the plan.
First time here?
- Pack weights for the tent. Above-ground weights only, on asphalt or grass.
- Charge your phone. It holds your parking pass and your ticket.
- Arrive together if you want stalls together.
- The only drink you can carry in is one sealed 500 mL bottle of plain water.
- State Farm Stadium is cashless.
- Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff, and there's no re-entry.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
Start on the Great Lawn, where the pregame stage is, and walk the lots from there. Wear your colors, bring something to share and keep the trash talk friendly.
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Your State Farm 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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