Quick Facts
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103 |
| Venue type | Outdoor multi-purpose historic stadium |
| Capacity | 89,702 |
| Opened | 1922 |
| Primary tenant | UCLA Bruins football; annual Rose Bowl Game |
| Website | rosebowlstadium.com |
Overview
Opened in 1922 and designated a National Historic Landmark, the Rose Bowl sits in the Arroyo Seco, a dry riverbed roughly 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It’s best known as the home of the Rose Bowl Game and UCLA football, but it’s also hosted Olympic events, World Cup finals, and touring concerts by acts including U2, the Rolling Stones, and Taylor Swift.
Unlike most modern stadiums, the Rose Bowl keeps a single continuous bowl with no upper-deck overhang, aside from the Terry Donahue Pavilion running along the west sideline. That low, open profile, combined with views of the San Gabriel Mountains, gives it a different feel than an enclosed stadium: you’re fully exposed to the sky, sun, and evening chill for the entire show.
Seating and Layout
Seating splits into field-level options and one continuous main bowl.
- Floor: Set up on the natural grass, either as standing general admission or reserved rows. Closest to the stage, though your sightline depends on your height and position relative to barricades.
- Lower bowl: The rows closest to the field, with sideline sections offering the most direct sightlines to an end-stage setup.
- Upper bowl: The higher rows of the same continuous deck. Farther from the stage, but with a wide view of the full production and crowd.
- Terry Donahue Pavilion: The stadium’s only true club and suite tier, on the west side, with cushioned seating, indoor-outdoor lounges, and private restrooms.
Most touring concerts use an end-stage setup, with the stage built into one end of the bowl and floor seating extending across the field toward the other end. Some shows go in-the-round instead, placing the stage at the center of the field and opening sightlines from around the full oval. Either way, protective flooring goes down over the grass to support staging, and the layout can shift somewhat by event, so check your specific ticket rather than a generic chart.
Capacity
The Rose Bowl’s standard, all-seated capacity is 89,702. For concerts, actual capacity depends on how much space the stage, floor seating, and production equipment take up, and can run somewhat below or close to that standard figure depending on the show. Treat any specific concert-capacity number you see as an estimate rather than a fixed figure.
Sound and Production
The open, low-rimmed bowl lets touring crews build large ground-supported stages with tall clearances for LED backdrops and delay-tower sound systems. Sound travels cleanly through the lower bowl and floor, though wind moving through the valley can affect projection to the highest rows. Because there’s no permanent large-format video board, touring acts typically bring in their own temporary screens.
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible platforms and companion seating are located at rim level near tunnel entrances throughout the bowl. Step-free routes connect parking areas to the main gates, and ramps and elevators serve the Terry Donahue Pavilion. Accessible restroom stalls are available around the outer concourse, along with family restrooms. Assistive listening devices and captioning can be requested through Guest Services, and service animals are permitted under ADA guidelines.
Venue Policies
- Bags: Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″, or a small clutch up to 4.5″ x 6.5″. Backpacks and non-clear totes aren’t allowed.
- Tickets: Mobile entry only, through the official ticketing app. Screenshots and printed tickets generally aren’t accepted.
- Payment: Cashless. Concessions and merchandise take cards and mobile pay.
- Cameras: Personal phones and compact non-professional cameras are fine. Detachable long lenses, tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks aren’t permitted.
- Outside food and drink: Not allowed, though sealed or empty water bottles are typically permitted in limited quantities.
- Re-entry: Not permitted once you’ve been scanned in.
- Smoking: Prohibited throughout the stadium footprint, including vaping.
Policies like these can change by event, so it’s worth checking your ticket or the venue’s site close to showtime.
Getting There
Driving and parking: Lots are on the surrounding Brookside Golf Course grounds. Access roads into the Arroyo Seco are limited, so traffic backs up on event days. Buy a parking pass online ahead of time.
Metro and shuttle: LA Metro’s A Line stops at Memorial Park Station in downtown Pasadena. On major event days, shuttle buses run from the nearby Parsons complex directly to the stadium gates.
Rideshare: Drop-off and pickup zones are set up along Rosemont Avenue and near Lot H. Post-show wait times can run long as outbound traffic clears.
Before You Arrive
Gates typically open two hours before showtime. Because traffic into the Arroyo Seco can back up on local streets, plan to arrive 90 to 120 minutes early to allow time to park, clear security, and find your seat.
Bring your ticket loaded on your phone, a valid photo ID, and a payment card since the venue is cashless. If you’re bringing a bag, make sure it meets the clear-bag size limits. Sunscreen and a hat help for daytime shows, and a jacket is worth having once the valley cools off after sunset.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the concert capacity of the Rose Bowl?
The standard, all-seated capacity is 89,702. Concert capacity can vary depending on stage placement and floor configuration.
Is the Rose Bowl an open-air stadium?
Yes, it’s fully open-air with no roof or canopy over the main seating bowl.
Where is the Rose Bowl located?
1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103, about 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
What is the bag policy at the Rose Bowl?
Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″, or a small clutch up to 4.5″ x 6.5″. Backpacks and non-clear totes aren’t allowed.
How do you get to the Rose Bowl using public transit?
Take LA Metro’s A Line to Memorial Park Station in Pasadena, then board the event shuttle bus from the nearby Parsons complex to the stadium.
Is the Rose Bowl cashless?
Yes, concessions, merchandise, and parking all run on cards or mobile payment.
What are the best seats for concerts at the Rose Bowl?
It depends on the stage layout, but lower-bowl side sections and center floor seats tend to offer the strongest combination of sightlines and sound.
Do you need to buy parking in advance?
Yes, pre-purchasing a parking pass is strongly recommended, since access into the Brookside Golf Course lots is limited on event days.
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