Best Seats At Ball Arena
Denver’s downtown arena wears three hats — home of the Nuggets, the Avalanche, and a packed concert calendar — and the right seat is a completely different question depending on which night you’re walking in for. Ball Arena opened in 1999 as the Pepsi Center (you’ll still see the old name on transit signs and older listings), took the Ball Corporation name in 2020, and remains one of the better-designed buildings in either league: no truly dead seats, and a steep upper deck that keeps you closer to the floor than the height suggests.
The one thing to know, before you buy is that basketball, hockey, and concerts each reward a different part of the bowl — grab whatever’s cheapest without thinking about the angle and you can end up paying lower-bowl money for an upper-bowl view. Here’s how to get it right for each.
Seating Overview
The bowl is simple to read once you know the shorthand: three levels, numbered by hundred. The Lower Bowl (100s) rings the floor, the Club Level (200s) sits in the middle with the premium lounges, and the Upper/Balcony Level (300s) climbs above. Everything below is organized by event, because a great Nuggets seat and a great Avs seat are not the same seat.
Denver Nuggets: Best Seats for Basketball
For basketball you want to be along the sideline, at a height where you can read spacing and follow the ball without craning. That’s the whole game at Ball Arena.
Sections 124–128 and 144–146 (Lower Bowl sideline) are the basketball sweet spot. You’re close enough to track Jokić’s footwork in real time, with clean sightlines to both baskets and the full court in front of you. The tradeoff is money — these are the most coveted non-premium seats in the building and they’re priced like it, with the good rows running well more than double the back rows. If you’re going to spend up for one Nuggets game, spend it here.
Sections 102 and 148, Rows 10–20 (behind the benches) are the counterintuitive pick worth knowing. The Nuggets bench sits in front of Section 102 and the visitors in front of 148 — get that straight before you buy, because it’s easy to reverse. Rows 1–3 are premium access, but the rows just behind them are not, and you get a genuinely different game: huddles, substitutions, the coaching staff working. For a certain kind of fan that beats a straight sideline seat.
Sections 110, 116, 134, 140 (lower-bowl corners) are the value call. The corners here are cut at an angle that actually works for basketball — you’re looking toward center court, not straight down the baseline — and they run meaningfully cheaper than the prime sideline while costing you maybe 5% of the view. For most regular-season games, this is the right seat.
Upper Level center, Sections 330–334 is the budget answer, and a smart one. The bird’s-eye angle is genuinely useful for reading the game’s flow, and it’s the cheapest way into a Nuggets game. One warning that matters: the upper deck is steep by design. If heights or stairs are an issue for anyone in your group, stay in the first several rows. For everyone else the pitch is a feature — you’re closer to the court than the same row would be in a flatter building.
Our pick for a first-timer: the back rows of 124–128. It’s the truest basketball seat in the building at a non-premium price, and it’s the one I’d hand a friend visiting for their first Nuggets game.
Skip the deep lower-bowl end-zone corners at the sharpest angles to the baseline — you get a compressed look at one end and an awkward one at the other, which isn’t worth lower-bowl pricing.
Colorado Avalanche: Best Seats for Hockey
Hockey flips the priorities. The Avs are one of the best tickets in the NHL, and the seat you want is the one that lets you read the whole sheet — line changes, zone coverage, play developing end to end.
Center ice, Sections 128–130 and 102–104 is the hockey purist’s seat. You can follow the play from blue line to blue line without your head on a swivel, and it’s where you sit if you actually want to watch hockey rather than just be near it. [IMAGE ALT: “Center-ice view of a Colorado Avalanche game from the lower bowl at Ball Arena”]
Glass seats, Sections 102–124 (lower bowl) are the experience worth having once. You feel every hit, and the speed of the game at ice level does not translate to the upper bowl. One real caveat that saves you money: Rows 1–2 have a genuine distortion problem — the glass warps your view of the far end. The actual sweet spot is Rows 12–20, where you clear the glass and see the whole sheet for less than the front rows cost. If you’ve never done a glass game, do it here, just not in the first two rows.
The “shoot-twice” end, Sections 128–146, is the value seat. The Avs attack this end in the first and third periods, so two-thirds of the game’s scoring chances come at you, and home goals happen right in front of your section. Standard seats behind the premium rows are priced well below center ice for a lot of action.
Upper Level, Sections 302–386 is the affordable entry point. For the best sightlines up here, take a corner section in a low row — elevation without the severe angle of the ends. If you want the loudest crowd in the building, Sections 360–364 are where Colorado attacks in the first and third; the energy on a power play up there is a different animal from the rest of the upper bowl.
A specific tip: the odd-numbered upper sections have just three rows, which means easy concourse access and none of the stuck-in-the-middle problem that makes upper-deck hockey annoying — a good pick for families. I’ve done the upper level here a few times. It works, its not my first choice but if you want to go to a game id recommend.
Our pick for a first-timer: center ice in 128–130 if the budget’s there, the shoot-twice end if it isn’t. Either way you’re watching real hockey.
Skip glass Rows 1–2, covered above — you’re paying premium proximity for a partially obscured far end.
Best Seats for Concerts at Ball Arena
Ball Arena is a heavy concert building — it flexes up to around 20,000 for end-stage shows and higher for center-stage tours, and the production is built for the whole bowl. The seat math is different again here.
Floor sections, Rows 1–10 (end-stage shows) put you in the energy, and the first ten rows keep you clear of the sightline problems that creep in deeper on a flat floor. Lower seat numbers within each section sit closer to the stage centerline; higher numbers push you toward the edges. Just know most floor is standing.
Lower-level stage-adjacent sections (roughly 132–136 for a standard end stage) are the underrated call — elevated above the floor, actual seats, and a clean angle to the stage without floor pricing. Configuration shifts by show, so verify before buying.
Club Level with a stage view is the value move for a concert. Padded seats, lounge access, shorter lines, and a sightline that works for most stage setups — often a smarter upgrade than pushing for expensive floor rows. And if your budget has you eyeing floor rows past 11, pivot to a lower-level side section instead: the elevation gives you a cleaner look at the stage than a floor seat 25 rows back, and you’re not standing for three hours.
Upper Level center is the cheapest ticket and not the compromise you’d think — arena productions are designed to pull the upper deck in, with the video boards and lighting built for exactly those seats. The one rule: avoid anything directly behind the stage unless the show is specifically sold as in-the-round.
Premium Seating At Ball Arena
Ball Arena’s premium tier was reshuffled with new sponsor names for 2025/26, and the old names still float around on resale — so buy by location and level, not by the name on the listing. It runs from event-level clubs on the floor and glass, up through the full Club Level in the 200s, with suites above.
The Best Premium Experience
UMB Reserve (event level, courtside and glass) is the crown jewel and it isn’t close. Private entrance on the southeast side near 11th Street and Chopper Circle, all-inclusive upscale food and full bar, included parking, and seats essentially on the playing surface. It opens 90 minutes before the game and stays open an hour after. Access is tight and differs by sport: for Nuggets games it’s Courtside rows CS1–CS3 only; for Avalanche games it covers rinkside/glass, behind the benches, and the second row of the attack-twice end. Verify exactly what your ticket includes before assuming you’re in. (On resale you may still see event-level access listed under the previous “Lexus Club” name.)
Best Value Premium
The Select Health Club Level — the entire 200 level — is the premium pick I’d actually make. You get wider padded seats, in-seat service, and two distinct lounges: the Colorado Social (opposite Sections 228–232, floor-to-ceiling mountain and city views, sit-down dining, full bar) and the Forget Me Not Lounge (opposite 202–204, Colorado craft beer, spirits, grab-and-go). It’s roughly 80% of the top-tier experience for a fraction of tunnel-club pricing. The insider target within it: Sections 242–246, which have only four rows each — almost no stairs, a semi-private feel, and no bathroom-line drama. That’s the smart-money seat in the whole building.
Other Premium Options
Ford Champions Club (Nuggets, event level, southwest side near 9th Street) is the floor-level club accessed via the CS-row sections near the Nuggets tunnel — all-inclusive food and drink, complimentary parking, concierge service, and about as close to the court as you get outside courtside. Theater Boxes (hanging above Sections 130 and 144, entered from the suite level) are semi-private 4–6 person boxes with a dining table and all-inclusive service — an opera-box feel that’s great for a small group or a client night. And for Avs games specifically, the Ice Deck is a hockey-only premium area worth a look if you want something different from a standard club seat.
Suites & Group Options
Ball Arena has roughly ninety luxury suites across two levels, most holding up to 20 guests with theater seating, a wet bar, and TVs, plus VIP entry and club-lounge access. Pricing runs into the low thousands per game for sports and swings much wider for concerts depending on the act, with in-suite catering on top. Book through Ball Arena group sales directly or a suite broker — brokers often have inventory and pricing flexibility the box office doesn’t advertise.
Ball Arena Seating Chart and Capacity
Ball Arena seats 19,099 for Nuggets basketball, 18,007 for Avalanche hockey and Mammoth lacrosse, and up to 20,000 for concerts depending on stage configuration. It’s a five-level building by the official count, but as a fan you’re choosing between three seating tiers: Lower Bowl (100s), Club Level (200s), and Upper/Balcony (300s). The address is 1000 Chopper Circle in Denver’s Central Platte Valley, just west of downtown.
Here is the Ball Arena Seating Chart. This has the different configurations for the Avs, Nuggets, etc.
Getting the Best Tickets
Nuggets and Avs demand runs hot — the Nuggets since the 2023 title, the Avs as a perennial contender — so face value and secondary can diverge a lot by opponent. Marquee visitors (Lakers, and any Avs rivalry or playoff-implication game) get overpriced fast on resale; a random midweek non-conference game is where the secondary market actually beats the box office. Concerts are the opposite — big tours sell out at on-sale and only climb, so for those, earlier is cheaper.
Click Here for Denver Nuggets or Colorado Avalanche tickets or any event at Ball Arena! Vivid Seats has you covered for any events from basketball to hockey to concerts.
Ball Arena Bag Policy
Ball Arena runs one of the strictest bag policies you’ll hit — clutches, wristlets, and fanny packs 4″ × 6″ × 1.5″ or smaller only. No backpacks, no purses, no bags above that clutch size, period. The one exception is medical and diaper bags up to 14″ × 14″ × 6″, which are allowed but must go through X-ray screening at entry. This is enforced, not suggested, so plan around it before a big night.
Here’s the piece most people miss: if you show up with a bag that doesn’t fit, there’s no interior bag check, but there are cashless Binbox lockers outside near the Grand Atrium Plaza starting around $12. They open 30 minutes before general doors and close an hour after the event — so a too-big bag isn’t an automatic trip back to the car, but it is a line and a fee you can avoid by traveling light. On water: an empty metal or plastic bottle 32oz or under is allowed for Nuggets, Avs, and Mammoth games (but not for concerts unless the tour permits it), and you can fill it at the hydration stations inside.
Key Policies To Know
No re-entry, for any event. Once you leave, your ticket won’t get you back in — which matters most for smokers, since there’s no in-and-out. Ball Arena is entirely non-smoking and non-vaping with no designated areas, indoors or out, and marijuana is prohibited anywhere on the property; city rules also bar smoking within 30 feet of the doors. Strollers are discouraged inside but can be checked at Guest Relations kiosks (Grand Atrium, outside Section 120, outside Section 375).
Ball Arena is fully cashless — debit, credit, and mobile pay (Apple/Google Pay) only, no cash accepted at concessions, premium, or suites. If you’ve only got cash, there are two ATMs inside to convert it, one on the Lower Level near Section 144 and one on the Upper Level near Section 366. This one catches people off guard constantly, so load a card before you go.
Accessibility here is genuinely well handled. ADA parking sits in the Camry North, Tundra, and RAV4 lots with a state-issued placard, accessible seating is dispersed across all levels, and the building offers sensory bags checked out at Guest Relations kiosks plus two on-site sensory nooks. Assistive listening devices, sign-language interpretation, and tactile broadcast devices are all available on request through Guest Relations. The UCHealth Nursing Suite is at Section 132 (lower) and Section 348 (upper).
Getting To Ball Arena
Ball Arena sits right on downtown’s western edge, which gives you real options — and given how the post-game crush works, the smartest fans avoid driving to the door entirely.
Driving & Parking
If you do drive, Ball Arena’s own lots are the Toyota-branded system — Camry, Tundra, RAV4, TRD Pro, Tacoma, 4Runner, Corolla — with valet in TRD Pro and premier parking in RAV4. Lots open three hours before the event; buy in advance when Ticketmaster prompts you after tickets, or through our partner Vivid Seats for better rates and a guaranteed spot. Cheaper alternatives are everywhere downtown: Union Station garages in LoDo, private lots and street parking across the Highland pedestrian bridge (10–15 minutes and a cooler neighborhood), and the Auraria campus garages on weekends. Here is the Ball Arena Parking Map.
Light Rail & Public Transit
The light rail drops you directly at the venue — the Ball Arena/Elitch Gardens station (long-timers still call it the Pepsi Center stop) is served by the D, E, H, and W lines. A short RTD fare beats paying for parking and, more to the point, lets you skip the post-game lot exodus that traps cars for half an hour. There’s also a bus stop across from the arena at 9th and Auraria Parkway, and the free 16th Street shuttle connects the downtown core to within walking distance. Here is the RTD website to check schedules.
Rideshare
There’s an official rideshare zone at 5th and Walnut, but the move that actually saves you time and money is to not call your car from right outside. Post-game, the whole crowd funnels toward Chopper Circle, surge spikes immediately, and you can wait 30–45 minutes for a car at two to three times the normal fare. Instead, walk 8–12 minutes toward the Auraria campus or up to 9th and Larimer and call from there — you’re out of the surge zone, the price drops, and the wait collapses. It’s the single most consistent mistake first-timers make here.
Ball Arena Insider Tips
Ball Arena sits in the middle of Denver’s downtown sports corridor—Coors Field is a 10-minute walk north, Empower Field is visible from the upper deck—and the whole area is built around gameday foot traffic. After spending time here over the years, the thing that strikes me most is how much the experience splits between people who know the building and people who don’t. The fans who know it eat better, wait less, and leave without sitting in a rideshare surge on Chopper Circle. These are the tricks to know.
Cool Stuff About The Arena
The center-hung scoreboard is one of the largest of its kind, and the floor doubles as a 4K projection screen during team intros — the pregame light show is worth being in your seat for, not still in the concourse line. Here’s the detail most fans don’t realize: the crew can flip the building from a basketball court to a full sheet of NHL ice in a matter of hours, which is how the Nuggets and Avs share it on back-to-back nights. It’s home to three pro franchises under one roof — the Nuggets, the Avs, and the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth, whose lacrosse games are a genuinely fun, cheaper night if you’ve never been.
Ball Arena Redevelopment: What’s Coming
If you’ve parked in the same lot here for years, know that it’s on borrowed time. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is redeveloping the roughly 55–64 acres of surface parking around the arena into a full mixed-use neighborhood, and groundbreaking on the first phase is targeted for the Summer of 2026 — starting with the Tundra lot, which becomes a 3.7-acre site holding a hotel, two residential towers, and an indoor performance venue. The practical takeaway for anyone attending over the next few years: expect fewer surface lots, shifting lot availability, and construction detours around the property. Lean harder on the light rail, rideshare, and off-site parking than you would have a couple seasons ago, and don’t assume last year’s lot will be there this year.
There’s a real upside coming, too. Phase 1 includes Wynkoop Crossing, a pedestrian and bike bridge over Speer Boulevard that will connect the arena straight into LoDo — which makes the walk-to-LoDo move above even easier once it opens. The first phase is projected to build out around 2029–2032, with the full vision (thousands of homes, a signature park, retail, and a new entertainment venue) stretching over the following decades. Timelines are tentative and will shift, but the direction is set: the sea of asphalt is going away.
Gates & Arrival Strategy
Doors open 60 minutes before game time for general admission — not 90, not two hours. Show up earlier and you’re waiting outside. Club and suite holders get in 90 minutes early, and that extra half hour is the difference if you want to catch hockey warmups, which are worth it. For which door: skip the Chopper Circle entrance on the north — everyone defaults there and it backs up. The South Entrance near 9th Street is almost always faster and drops you near the Club Level escalators. CLEAR members get expedited entry, a real time-saver on a bobblehead night.
The Altitude Warning
Denver is at 5,280 feet and this is not a footnote — one beer hits like two at sea level, especially if you flew in that day. Pace yourself, drink way more water than you think you need, and use the free hydration stations (bring that empty 32oz bottle). One thing out-of-towners always underestimate and locals joke about constantly: throw a lip balm in your pocket. The altitude and the bone-dry air are both working against you, and the chapped-lips reminder tends to arrive around the second period.
Food & Drink Strategy
Ball Arena has real local food if you skip the generic concourse stands. Fan-favorite in-arena picks worth seeking out include the fried tacos at Mexico City Lounge (Sections 118 and 330), Redeemer Pizza (Section 126) for a legit NY-style sourdough crust, and Big Belly Brothers BBQ (Sections 148 and 379) for burnt ends. On a budget, hunt down the $5 Fan Friendly menu stands first — five-dollar beers, hot dogs, popcorn, and bottled water at a major arena is one of the best bargains in pro sports, and it’s the thing Denver fans recommend before anything else.
One honest exception: skip the pretzel. It gets roasted in every fan thread and it earns it. If your ticket includes Club Level access, the food up there is a real step up from the main concourse — carving stations and rotating menu items fans single out, and the lines during peak breaks are noticeably shorter than the lower bowl. There’s also a full-service sit-down restaurant, the Mountain House, on the Club Level — if you have access, it’s one of the calmest places to eat in the building before tip-off or puck drop. Reservations are worth grabbing for popular games, since availability disappears quickly.
One small heads-up that catches visitors off guard: many of the grab-and-go beer and food stands throw a tip prompt on the screen at checkout. Not a scandal, just a surprise the first time — know it’s coming.
Timing hack: don’t wait for the intermission or halftime buzzer to get food — 19,000 people have the same idea and the concourses are narrow enough to gridlock. Go with about four minutes left in the period while play’s still on, or wait until five minutes into the break once the wave clears. Or skip arena pricing entirely and eat on Larimer Street or in LoDo beforehand.
Autographs & Player Access
Avalanche are your best shot in the building: the Avs tunnel is near Section 104, visitors near 148. Get to a lower-bowl seat right at doors and position near 104 — pucks come over the glass during warmups and signings do happen. You need a 100-level ticket; ushers are strict and it doesn’t work from the upper bowl. Nuggets, manage expectations — NBA players rarely sign pregame and the setup doesn’t create many chances; the most reliable path is a pregame floor-access package, so check the Nuggets’ current premium experiences to see what’s offered this season (these get renamed or retired year to year).
Giveaway Night Timing
Both teams run popular giveaways and “while supplies last” is real. Since general doors open 60 minutes before game time, the move for a bobblehead or jersey night is to be in line 30 to 45 minutes before doors — the good ones can run out before the first period ends. Check the promo schedule when you buy and build your arrival around it.
Families & Kids
The odd-numbered upper sections (three rows each) are the low-stress family choice for easy in-and-out. Berry the Bear (Avs) and Rocky (Nuggets) do pregame meet-and-greets in the Grand Atrium — ask Guest Relations for the time when you arrive, it moves by game, and route the kids there before finding seats. The UCHealth Nursing Suite is at Sections 132 and 348, and the building is a Denver Health-certified breastfeeding-friendly space.
Keep Your Phone Charged
Your ticket lives on your phone, so a dead battery is a real problem. ChargeFUZE rental kiosks are on multiple levels — grab a portable battery for around $5 and return it anywhere. Download the app before you leave home so pickup is fast.
Concert-Specific Tips
For general-admission concerts, the line forms at the Grand Atrium VIP Door 1 on the southwest side starting mid-morning the day of — no overnight camping, but early afternoon gives you a real edge for front-of-floor. For upper-level concert seats, avoid anything directly behind the stage unless it’s marketed as in-the-round. And the Club Level is a better concert value than most people realize — padded seats and a clean stage angle for less stress than the floor.
If You’ve Got an Extra Day: Things to Do in Denver
If you’re in from out of town, a few genuinely worthwhile stops beyond the game. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is the one to prioritize — hike the trails for the city views even if there’s no show, and catch a concert there if the calendar lines up; there’s nothing else like it, always a crowd favorite with my out of town guests.. The Denver Art Museum anchors a strong downtown culture stop, and the Denver Zoo is the easy family pick. Closer to the arena, wander Larimer Square and dip into Denver’s craft-beer scene, which is as good as the city’s reputation suggests.
Hotels Near Ball Arena
Staying downtown puts you within walking distance of the arena and in the middle of Denver’s best food and nightlife — and on big gameday and concert weekends, the good downtown rooms sell out, so book a few weeks ahead for anything marquee.
Best Areas to Stay
LoDo (Lower Downtown) is the target — closest to the arena at a 5–10 minute walk, packed with sports bars and restaurants, and connected to Union Station for airport rail. The 16th Street Mall area is a notch further but linked by the free shuttle. If you want a cooler, quieter base, Highland across the pedestrian bridge is a 10–15 minute walk and one of Denver’s best neighborhoods.
Hotel Recommendations
For a splurge, The Ritz-Carlton Denver and the Four Seasons Hotel Denver are the top-end downtown options, both a walkable distance to the arena. Hotel Teatro and The Oxford Hotel (Denver’s oldest operating hotel, right in LoDo) are the character picks — historic, stylish, and close. Kimpton Hotel Born sits near Union Station, about as convenient as it gets for rail and pregame. The Maven at Dairy Block is a lively pick with a food hall attached, a touch closer to Coors Field but perfectly fine for Ball Arena.
Budget Options
Embassy Suites Denver Downtown (spacious suites, free breakfast) and the AC Hotel Denver Downtown are the value picks that keep you walkable. The Curtis, a DoubleTree by Hilton, is the fun budget option with themed floors. You give up a little polish or a few blocks of location versus the LoDo luxury set, but for a gameday crash pad they’re the smart money.
Bars and Restaurants Near Ball Arena
Ball Arena fans cluster in LoDo before and after — the densest concentration of sports bars within a walk — with the 16th Street Mall and the spots right by the venue as backups.
Best Pregame & Postgame Bars
Society Sports & Spirits is one of my faves and a standard LoDo sports bar near the arena, wall-to-wall TVs and a tailgate feel — it fills up fast before Avs and Nuggets games, so get there early for a seat. Rhein Haus brings a German angle with bocce courts, giant pretzels, and schnitzel, connected to Wally’s Wisconsin Tavern for overflow. Nola Jane does New Orleans — po’boys, gumbo, hurricanes — and stays open late for postgame. Tom’s Watch Bar wraps you in 360° screens in the heart of LoDo, pricier but a great all-Denver-teams viewing spot. Tom’s is better for Rockies games as its right next door, but still solid if you’re in the area. Jackson’s is good too.
Best Restaurants in the Area
Beyond the bars, Denver’s worth eating well while you’re in town. Mercantile Dining & Provisions at Union Station is James Beard-winner Alex Seidel’s seasonal American — elevated and walkable pregame. Guard and Grace is the downtown steakhouse for a nicer night, Tavernetta the LoDo Italian splurge, and Rioja in Larimer Square the Mediterranean standout. For something with more personality, A5 Steakhouse does Japanese A5 and martinis in a neon-lit room. Mix of pregame-friendly and “while you’re here” — pick to the occasion.
Why You Should Go
Ball Arena is one of the rare buildings that’s a genuinely good watch for three completely different nights — a Jokić-era Nuggets team chasing more banners, an Avalanche side that’s perennially among the NHL’s best and loudest, and a concert room built for the whole bowl. Add a walkable downtown packed with real food and bars, light rail to the door, and a building with no dead seats, and it’s an easy trip to talk a friend into. Get the seat right for the sport, travel light through that bag line, and call your ride from a block away — do those three things and you’ve beaten the building.
Dont forget to check out our other guides in Denver and around the country. Here are some places to start
Mile High Stadium and Coors Field
Written by Brad Richards. Founder of Gameday Guides. This guide includes insights from personal visits as well as updated info from team sources, fan forums, and stadium policies. We aim to help you plan with confidence — enjoy your gameday. If you have any tips, if we missed anything or you have a question, don’t hesitate to shoot us an email.