Save our Cheat Sheet above to your phone for gameday and explore all of our Arena Guides from MSG to the Barclays Center.
Best Seats at Prudential Center in Newark
Prudential Center is where New Jersey stops living in New York’s shadow. The Devils have played at “The Rock” since 2007, and around the hockey schedule the arena books so many concerts, K-pop tours and UFC cards that it has ranked among the highest-grossing arenas in the world. It’s a red-brick-and-glass building in downtown Newark, two blocks from Newark Penn Station and about 20 minutes by train from Manhattan, named for the Prudential Financial headquarters down the street and nicknamed for the Rock of Gibraltar in the company’s logo.
The honest reality is that the blocks around it are a commuter downtown, not a nightlife district, so most fans arrive by train, eat in the Ironbound across the tracks and ride home the same way. Get the seat, the train and the dinner right and the night takes care of itself.
Seating Overview
The Rock has three seating tiers, and the one that trips people up is the middle one. The lower bowl runs sections 1 through 22 with up to 24 rows, and both hockey benches sit on the same sideline in front of sections 7–9, with the penalty boxes across the ice at section 19. Above the lower bowl come two levels of suites, then the 100 level: side “mezzanine” sections with just 8 rows that sit above both suite levels, and end and corner “balcony” sections with 14 rows that sit above only one, which puts the balcony closer to the ice than its number suggests. The 200 level wraps only the sides and corners, 9 rows deep, reached by stairs from the same tunnel the mezzanine uses.
For hockey, one rule outranks everything else downstairs: row 13 or higher puts your eyes above the glass. Below that, the boards and glass supports cut into the near corners and the far end.
Best Seats for Devils Games
Sections 7, 9, 18 and 20, rows 13 and up. These are the sideline seats that aren’t sold as club seats: center sections 8 and 19 are club seats top to bottom, but only rows 1–5 of 7 and 9 and rows 1–8 of 18 and 20 carry the club tag. Above those rows you get a near-center view at a regular ticket price, with the 7–9 side looking down on the benches and the 18–20 side facing them.
Lower corners at the Devils’ end, rows 13 and up. The Devils shoot twice at the net in front of sections 1–3, so the corners beside it put two periods of home-team offense right in front of you. The tradeoff is the second period, when the play is at the far end of the rink.
The center mezzanine, roughly 110–114 and 127–130. Eight rows, above the glass, with a clean end-to-end view of how plays develop. Two suite levels sit below you, so these feel higher than a typical 100-level seat.
Best Value Seats
Balcony front rows at the Devils’ end, sections 101–107. Only one suite level separates this end from the ice, so the first few rows here sit closer than the center mezzanine and usually cost less. You watch two periods of Devils offense head-on, and the top rows of some balcony sections carry reserved table seats for groups. The cost is a behind-the-net angle on whatever happens at the far end.
Budget / Cheapest Way In
The 200 level. It’s the cheapest ticket in the building for most Devils games and concerts, and because it only wraps the sides and corners, no 200-level seat sits directly behind a net. Expect a stair climb from the shared tunnel and real height; row 1 of a side section is the one to buy.
My Pick
Rows 13–20 of section 18 or 20. You’re just off center ice, facing both benches, clear of the glass and outside the club rows, so you pay a normal ticket price for one of the best views in the building.
Best Seats for Seton Hall Basketball, UFC and Other Events
Seton Hall basketball runs the court along the same axis as the rink, with the Pirates’ bench in front of section 9 and the visitors’ in front of section 7, and capacity grows to 18,711. Without glass in the way, low rows of the sideline sections (7–9 and 18–20) are the seats to want, and the center mezzanine is a strong cheaper option. Big East rivals like St. John’s, Villanova and UConn fill the building and are the only tickets that get hard to buy; most other dates leave good lower-bowl seats on the resale market.
UFC and boxing put the cage or ring in the middle of a flat floor. Past the first few floor rows you’ll be watching the screens, so mid-rows of the lower sideline sections give the better live view for less. New York Sirens PWHL games use the hockey layout, with lower-bowl seats at a fraction of Devils prices.
What to Avoid (and What’s Worth Trying Once)
Rows 1–12 of the end sections, unless they’re glass seats. You’ll look through glass, net and stanchions and lose the far end of the rink for much of the night.
The 200-level corners on a big night. Highest and at an angle, and on Rangers and Flyers nights they price like better seats.
Worth it once: the top of section 122 with the Diablos. The Devils’ loudest supporters’ group sets up there and runs the chants. Go on a Rangers night.
Best Seats for Concerts at Prudential Center
Billboard once called Prudential Center the East Coast home of K-pop, and it’s hosted the MTV VMAs several times, so concert seating matters here as much as hockey. For most end-stage shows the stage goes up at the end in front of lower sections 11–14, and everything else pivots on that. In-the-round shows use the center-stage layout instead.
Floor Seats
The floor is flat, so the first several rows of floor sections are the best seats in the house and the back half of the floor is not. Once you’re past the midpoint, a lower-bowl side seat usually sees more than a floor ticket does. For general admission and big K-pop tours, lines form hours before doors, and fans have camped outside for the biggest shows.
Lower Bowl Side Sections
Sideline sections 8, 9, 18 and 19 are the closest seats in the building with real elevation, and the nearer you sit to the stage end, the sharper the angle gets. Sections 1–3 at the far end give the full head-on picture of the production, lights and screens included, from a long way back.
Best Value Concert Seats
The mezzanine sections nearest the stage, around 113 and 127. They’re elevated, close to the side of the stage and priced well below the lower bowl. Front rows of the balcony at the far end (103 and 104 are dead center) sit one suite level up with a head-on view and are often the smartest money in the building for a big production.
Concert Seats to Avoid
Anything at or behind the stage end, including lower sections 11–14 and the seats above them, unless the listing says side-stage or limited view and the price reflects it. The 200-level corners closest to the stage give you the worst mix of height and angle.
Premium Seating & Clubs at Prudential Center
Most premium space at the Rock is sold as annual memberships, so a single-game buyer’s realistic options are the lower-bowl club seats, the glass seats at Devils games and suites rented by the event.
The Best Premium Experience: M Lounge by BMW
The event-level lounge at center ice (formerly the Platinum club) is the most exclusive space in the building, with an all-inclusive chef’s menu, a top-shelf bar and a door that opens straight out to seats at ice level. What makes it unique is the tunnel: the Devils walk through on the way to the ice, and security holds lounge guests for a moment roughly 41, 14 and 5 minutes before puck drop and around each intermission while the team passes. It’s sold as an annual membership, so single-event access mostly comes through members or resale.
Best Value Premium: Lower Bowl Club Seats
This is the premium buy most people should make. Club seats cover all of sections 8 and 19, rows 1–5 of 7 and 9 and rows 1–8 of 18 and 20, and at Devils games they include an all-inclusive buffet with soft drinks plus access to renovated club lounges with full cash bars: the Hyundai Club behind 7–9 and the East Club behind 18–20. They sell per game, and the middle rows of 8 or 19 sit right on the red line.
Other Premium Options
Prudential Lounge glass seats (Devils games only): rows GL1 and GL2 on the boards, with all-inclusive food and non-alcoholic drinks, a private entrance and a lounge. Unbeatable for speed and hits, weaker for following play at the far end.
Verizon Lounge: the former Pier Club on the west side of the second suite level, done in a Jersey Shore theme, selling eight-seat loge boxes, banquettes, club seats and barstool ledge seats with all-inclusive food and drink, VIP parking and a VIP entrance.
The Lofts: a speakeasy-style club built as a throwback to old New Jersey, with eight-seat loge boxes, four-seat tables with their own replay screens and club seats, all-inclusive, with a private lounge.
Studio Suites by BMW: enclosed lower-level suites for six to eight people, close to the action, all-inclusive.
Suites & Group Options
The luxury suites fill the two levels between the lower bowl and the 100 level, each seating 16 to 22 with customizable catering. Companies hold most of them on annual deals, but single events can be rented through the premium sales team at 973-757-6464, and group tickets go through the arena’s group sales page.
Prudential Center Seating Chart & Capacity
Prudential Center holds 16,514 for hockey and 18,711 for basketball, down from 17,625 for hockey when it opened. For concerts, the arena lists 16,755 for a center-stage show and 16,659 for an end-stage show, with a half-house theater setup of 7,777, which is why the concert number you see depends on the layout.
The one chart quirk worth knowing: the lower bowl has no leading 1, so section 12 is a lower-bowl end seat while section 112 is two decks up. Seat 1 is on the right as you face the ice or stage, closest to the next-higher section number. See every layout, plus virtual seat views for Devils games, on the official Prudential Center seating maps.
Getting the Best Tickets
Ticketmaster is the primary seller for everything at the Rock, and Devils tickets live in the Devils app. Rangers and Flyers games are the most expensive regular-season tickets because visiting fans make the short trip, and on Rangers nights a big share of the building wears blue; weeknight games against Western Conference teams are the cheapest nights on the schedule. For concerts, presales decide the good seats, and K-pop tours are the fastest sellouts on the calendar.
Prudential Center Upcoming Events & Schedule
The Devils’ regular season runs from early October to mid-April, with Seton Hall basketball from November through March and New York Sirens games through the winter. Around them the arena books concerts nearly every week, with K-pop and Latin superstars a constant, plus UFC and bare-knuckle fight nights, comedy tours and Disney On Ice in the fall. Check the Prudential Center events calendar for what’s on today and this week, and the Devils schedule for home games.
Find Prudential Center tickets on Vivid Seats for Devils games, concerts, Seton Hall basketball and fight nights.
Prudential Center Bag Policy
No bag larger than 4″ x 6″ x 1.5″ is allowed in, which means a wallet, phone case or very small clutch. Clear bags aren’t required, but a clear bag still has to meet the same size limit. Backpacks of any size, hard-sided bags and coolers are banned. Parenting bags and medically necessary bags are exempt from the size limit but get X-rayed. Lockers outside the M&M’s Tower and the Lafayette Street lobby hold rejected bags for a fee; items are screened first and must be collected at the end of the event.
Is Prudential Center Cashless?
Yes. Concessions, merchandise and the box office take only cards and mobile pay, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. Reverse ATMs that load cash onto a card with no transaction fee sit near sections 1, 14 and 125 and in the Box Office lobby.
What Time Do Doors Open at Prudential Center?
Doors open 60 to 90 minutes before most events, and 90 minutes before Devils games. The exact time is on each event page. The box office on Edison Place is open weekdays 11 a.m.–5 p.m., and on weekends only when there’s an event; Will Call opens about three hours before most shows and requires photo ID.
Key Venue Policies
No re-entry. The only exception is a medical need, arranged with a Guest Services supervisor before you leave.
No outside food or drink, and no beverage containers of any kind. Cans, bottles and glass are all on the prohibited list, so leave the water bottle at home.
Noisemakers are banned, including whistles, air horns and drums. Small non-professional cameras (lens under 2.5 inches) are allowed at some events, while GoPros, selfie sticks and video equipment never are.
Kids under 2 get in free on a lap. Only small fold-up umbrella strollers are allowed, stored under the seat or checked at Guest Services. The arena is smoke- and vape-free, including 25 feet from every entrance.
Accessibility: buy accessible seating on Ticketmaster or at 800-877-7575. Guest Services outside section 9 (main concourse) and section 114 (upper concourse) loans assistive listening devices and KultureCity sensory bags and arranges wheelchair escorts. Captioning runs at Devils and Seton Hall games, and ASL interpreters should be requested three weeks ahead.
Getting to Prudential Center
Take the train. Newark Penn Station is two blocks east of the arena and pulls together NJ Transit, PATH, Amtrak and the Newark Light Rail, so from New York and most of North Jersey there’s no reason to drive.
Public Transit from New York and New Jersey
NJ Transit from New York Penn Station reaches Newark Penn in about 20 minutes on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines; buy a round trip in the MyTix app before you board. PATH from the World Trade Center takes about 25 minutes and runs 24 hours a day, though Hoboken and 33rd Street riders have to change at Journal Square, especially late at night. From the Morris & Essex and Montclair-Boonton lines, ride to Newark Broad Street and take the Light Rail to Newark Penn. Newark Liberty Airport is one NJ Transit stop from Newark Penn, then the AirTrain.
After the event, exit through the Citizens Tower at the northeast corner, near sections 20–22, 130–133 and 231–233; it’s the straight shot to Penn Station. Late-night NJ Transit service thins out, so check the last train before a late show, while PATH keeps running all night.
Parking at Prudential Center
There are more than 3,500 spaces within two blocks, and the arena sells guaranteed prepaid parking through ParkMobile. The official lots are the Parking Deck presented by Hyundai on Lafayette Street, the Green 3 & 4 lots across Lafayette, the Green Street Garage a block west and Green 7 on Mulberry. Prepay for Devils, Rangers and big concert nights, because the closest lots sell out.
Use the Hyundai deck’s skybridge. It connects Level 4 of the deck directly to the arena, so you never cross a street, which matters on a January night. BMW owners can register for free parking in the Green Street Garage at select events, first come, first served, and Hyundai owners who prepay for the deck and arrive an hour before doors get reserved spaces on the premier levels.
Rideshare
Lyft is the arena’s official rideshare partner, and the pickup and drop-off zone is at Mulberry Street and Clinton Street, just east of the Citizens Tower. Surge and traffic spike right after the final horn, so either walk into the Ironbound and request from there or have a drink and let the rush clear.
Insider Tips for Prudential Center
Most fans treat the Rock as a train ride with a game at the end of it, and the building rewards anyone who arrives early, knows which tower to use and eats across the tracks. These are the details that make the night easier.
What Was Prudential Center Called Before?
It has always been Prudential Center. During planning it was called “Newark Arena,” until Prudential Financial bought the naming rights in January 2007 on a 20-year deal. The name people confuse it with is the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, known over the years as Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and the IZOD Center. That was the Devils’ home from 1982 to 2007, where they won all three of their Stanley Cups, and it stopped hosting regular events in 2015.
Who Plays at Prudential Center?
The New Jersey Devils (NHL), Seton Hall men’s basketball and the New York Sirens (PWHL), who moved in for the 2024–25 season. The New Jersey Nets played here from 2010 to 2012 before moving to Brooklyn, and the New York Liberty spent 2011–2013 here while Madison Square Garden was renovated.
Arrival Strategy
Pick your tower before you get there. The main entrances are the Citizens Tower (northeast, Mulberry and Edison, next to the box office and closest to Penn Station), the M&M’s Tower (southeast, Mulberry and Lafayette), the Lafayette Street entrance on the south side and the Hyundai Skybridge from the parking deck. The two towers carry you up to the main concourse by escalator.
Eat before doors, not after. The bars across Edison Place pack out well ahead of puck drop, so either get there early or eat in the Ironbound and walk over.
Food & Drink Inside Prudential Center
Section 4 is the food corner. Mighty Quinn’s barbecue, Jersey Tomato pizza, Brick City Dogs and Popcorn for the People all cluster near it, so one trip covers the group.
Order the Taylor ham, egg and cheese at the Downtown Diner. It’s a permanent menu item at sections 1 and 118, and section 1 adds disco fries with gravy and cheese. For a cheesesteak, The Boardwalk is at section 126.
Buy the popcorn. Popcorn for the People is a New Jersey nonprofit that trains and employs adults with autism and developmental disabilities to make and sell it.
Sitting upstairs? Find Melba’s. The Harlem comfort-food spot is near section 107, with Goya Cantina at 101 and Smash burgers from Pat LaFrieda at 111 (also downstairs at 12).
Kosher food is at sections 10, 17 and 124, and the Budweiser Red Light Bar is near section 16.
Exit Strategy
Don’t join the Penn Station crush at the horn. Platforms jam right after a sellout, so if you’re not racing a last train, walk into the Ironbound, eat late and catch a quieter one. Seabra’s stays open until midnight.
Downtown Manhattan? Take PATH. It runs all night, straight to the World Trade Center.
Devils Traditions & Culture
Know the goal song. Every Devils goal at home sets off “Howl” by the Gaslight Anthem, a band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, and it’s been the goal song since the 2015–16 season.
Rangers night is the one to see. The Hudson River rivalry is at its loudest here, and the Devils closed out a 4–0 Game 7 over the Rangers at the Rock in 2023. Expect half the crowd in blue and a building that stays loud all night.
Look up at the rafters. The banners carry three Stanley Cups (1995, 2000 and 2003) and the retired numbers of Ken Daneyko (3), Scott Stevens (4), Patrik Elias (26), Scott Niedermayer (27) and Martin Brodeur (30).
Photo Ops and Instagrammable Spots
Martin Brodeur’s statue stands outside the Lafayette Street entrance. Championship Plaza, across Mulberry Street between Edison Place and Market Street, has a 22-foot stainless steel hockey player and a sculpture of Prudential’s Rock.
Inside, a 6,000-square-foot mural along the lower concourse shows Brodeur, Stevens and Daneyko alongside Seton Hall’s Terry Dehere, soccer’s Tony Meola and tennis great Althea Gibson, and the concourse walls are hung with the jerseys of New Jersey high school hockey teams.
Families & Kids
Plan the practical stops. The Kids Store is at section 16, family restrooms are outside sections 5, 12 and 22 on the main concourse, and a Mamava nursing pod on the suite level is reached through Guest Services behind section 9. A birthday name on the scoreboard in the second intermission is free for Devils Members or available with a donation to Devils Care.
Autographs & Player Access
Watch warmups from the glass, whatever your ticket. Any ticket holder can sit in rows 1–6 of sections 2, 3, 4, 12, 13 or 14 during Devils warmups if those seats are empty, from doors until warmups end about 20 minutes before puck drop. It’s the closest most fans ever get to the players, and the best free thing to do with kids.
Head to the Devils’ end. Sections 2–4 sit at the end the Devils attack twice, so that’s where the home team is in front of you.
Wait for players after the game. Players drive out of the garage beside the arena, and fans who wait outside it sometimes get a window-down autograph or a selfie. It’s a cold wait with no guarantee, so bring a Sharpie and something easy to sign.
Merch & Team Store
The Devils Den sits at street level at Mulberry Street and Edison Place next to the box office, open weekdays 11 a.m.–4 p.m. with extended hours on game nights, and you don’t need a ticket to shop. Inside, extra stores run at sections 7, 16, 22, 104 and 114.
Buy a mystery signed puck on charity nights. On theme nights like Hockey Fights Cancer, the Devils sell foil-wrapped pucks signed by a random player on the main concourse, usually outside sections 19 and 20, with proceeds going to that night’s cause. The line starts at doors and inventory runs out, and past sales have been cash-only even in this cashless building.
Venue Quirks
Text problems instead of hunting for staff. The arena’s anonymous in-game text line is 507-724-8378 (507.PC.GUEST).
The concourses are split. The lower and upper levels have separate concourses, so if your friends are in the 100s and you’re downstairs, meet at
Hotels Near Prudential Center
Newark’s hotel list is short, and for most out-of-town visitors the better base is Jersey City or Manhattan on a direct train line. Stay in Newark if the arena is the whole trip or you’re flying out of Newark Liberty the next morning.
Best Areas to Stay
Downtown Newark puts you a short walk from the arena with no train to catch, but it goes quiet after events and the hotel choice is thin. Jersey City, around Exchange Place and Grove Street, sits on the same PATH line as Newark, about 20 minutes away and running all night, with far more restaurants and a Manhattan skyline across the river. Manhattan, near Penn Station or the World Trade Center, makes sense when New York is the trip and the game is one night of it.
Hotel Recommendations
The Walk-Over: Courtyard by Marriott Newark Downtown. It sits on Broad Street right beside the arena, and guests describe spacious, clean rooms and a location that makes the night effortless. Parking in the attached garage costs extra, and the walls are thin.
The Train Stay: DoubleTree by Hilton Newark Penn Station. It’s in the Gateway complex connected to Penn Station, with an airport shuttle, so it’s built for a game-and-flight weekend or trips into the city. Recent reviews are mixed on upkeep; the location is the reason to book.
The Skyline Pick: Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson. The Exchange Place PATH station is next door, on the direct line to Newark, and the views run straight across the Hudson to Lower Manhattan. It hosts a lot of weddings, so ask about events on your dates.
The Longer Stay: Residence Inn by Marriott Jersey City. Near Grove Street PATH on the same Newark line, with full kitchens in the suites and breakfast every day, which suits a family or a multi-night trip.
Budget Options
TRYP by Wyndham Newark Downtown sits by Military Park, a 10- to 15-minute walk from Penn Station. Rooms are small and bare but clean, and it’s the most affordable dependable option downtown.
Hampton Inn & Suites Newark-Harrison-Riverwalk is across the Passaic River in Harrison, near the Harrison PATH station one stop from Newark, with breakfast included. Trains run right past it, so ask for an even-numbered room on the river side, away from the rail bridge. Skip the Robert Treat Hotel on Park Place despite its location, since recent reviews describe worn rooms and broken elevators.
Bars and Restaurants Near Prudential Center
Gameday in Newark splits three ways. The Edison Place strip, directly across from the Citizens Tower, is where the pregame beer happens, and it’s packed on hockey nights. Downtown toward Rutgers-Newark has the older pubs, quieter and a 10- to 15-minute walk.
And the Ironbound, the Portuguese, Spanish and Brazilian neighborhood under and beyond the Penn Station tracks, is where you eat, with Ferry Street 10 to 15 minutes on foot from the arena and kitchens that stay open after the game.
Best Pregame & Postgame Bars
Redd’s Biergarten is the default pregame bar, a long German beer hall on Edison Place across from the Citizens Tower with liter beers, sausages and room for a crowd, though a 20 percent gratuity is added automatically and it’s closed Sundays. McGovern’s Tavern is the old-school Irish pub near Rutgers-Newark, with pub food, a happy hour and a local crowd; it’s open until 2 a.m. but closed Sundays.
Bello’s Pub and Grill, on Market Street toward the Ironbound, has a deep beer list and fills with Devils fans after games. Burke’s Tavern, on Lafayette Street at the Ironbound edge, is a candlelit cocktail room in an old corner building and the date-night pick.
Best Restaurants Near Prudential Center
Fornos of Spain has been a Ferry Street institution for more than four decades, known for paella, grilled octopus and pitchers of sangria, and it’s the closest classic Ironbound dinner to Penn Station (mid-range to pricey). Seabra’s Marisqueira, just off Ferry, serves enormous Portuguese seafood platters with brusque, fast service and stays open until midnight every night, which makes it the postgame move. Casa Vasca on Elm Street is a warm Basque room with complimentary soup, huge seafood pots and its own attended parking lot; it’s closed Tuesdays.
Mompou on Ferry Street is a tapas and wine bar, lined with signed guitars, for a lighter pregame (closed Mondays). For a Saturday matinee, Hobby’s Delicatessen near the arena serves overstuffed pastrami sandwiches, but it closes at 2:30 p.m. and is closed Sundays.
Why You Should Go
Go for the moment the train pulls into Newark Penn and a platform full of red jerseys empties onto Market Street, all headed the same two blocks. Prudential Center is a building that belongs to its state, loud with Jersey pride on a Devils night and just as loud when a K-pop tour or a UFC card fills it, and it sits at the edge of one of the best eating neighborhoods in the Northeast. Come on a winter weeknight when the Rangers are in town and the rivalry is at full volume, and when you step off the train, walk east under the tracks to Ferry Street for dinner before you walk west to the Rock.
Explore all of our NY/NJ area guides:
UBS Arena on Long Island
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.