Best Seats At the Chase Center
Chase Center opened in 2019 as the Warriors’ billion-dollar landing in San Francisco’s Mission Bay, and it’s since become one of the busiest buildings in the country — nearly 200 events a year, from Warriors basketball to the Golden State Valkyries (whose sellout inaugural WNBA season set league attendance records) to a nonstop concert calendar. It seats 18,064 for basketball and expands toward 19,500 for concerts, all wrapped around bay views, the biggest scoreboard in the NBA, and a food program that’s genuinely a step above arena norm.
The Chase Center reality: this is a premium building with premium prices, and getting out after an event is harder than getting in. Nail your seat, your transit, and your exit plan, and it’s one of the best nights out in the league.
Seating Overview
What separates a great seat here from a mediocre one is height and angle, not just distance. It’s a compact, steep bowl, so even upper-level seats feel closer than the number suggests — but the corners and the sections tucked behind the baskets punish you with bad angles no matter how much you spend. Prioritize center-court and the sightline down the sideline over sheer proximity, and know that Chase Center runs expensive across the board, so the smart move is buying the angle you want at the level you can afford.
Best Non-Premium Seats
Lower sideline, center court (sections 103–104 and 115–116). These are the best regular seats in the house — dead-center along the sidelines, low enough to read the play developing and hear the benches. The 100s that sit right behind the team benches put you on top of the action without crossing into courtside pricing. The tradeoff is cost: these are the most expensive non-premium seats in the building, and a marquee opponent or a playoff game pushes them into serious money.
Lower corners (the 106–108 and 112–114 range). Angled but still in the lower bowl, these get you the padded-seat, close-to-the-floor experience for meaningfully less than center court. You give up the clean straight-on view — tracking play toward the far basket gets awkward from the corner — but you’re still close enough to feel the game rather than watch it from orbit.
Upper sideline, low rows (the 200s along the side, center). If you want the whole-court view and don’t need to be close, the first few rows of the upper sideline near center court are underrated. You see every set develop from above, which is its own kind of great, and the steep rake means the front of the 200s feels surprisingly connected to the floor.
Best Value Seats
The smart-money pick is the low rows of the upper level along the sidelines, as close to center court as you can get. You’re paying upper-bowl prices for a straight-on, elevated view that reads the game beautifully — arguably better for watching basketball than a lower corner, and a fraction of the price. The catch is simple height; fast breaks toward the far end are small from up here. For Valkyries games specifically, the value math gets even better, because the whole building runs cheaper than Warriors nights and you can sit far lower for the same money.
Cheapest Way In
Upper level behind the baskets (the 200s at the ends, sections in the low 200s and the 210s–220s). These are the true cheap seats — you’re high and behind the hoop, so you’re watching one end well and the other from a distance, and depth perception on the far basket is rough. But for getting in the building on a budget, or for soaking up a playoff atmosphere you couldn’t otherwise afford, they do the job. Section 214 tends to be the cheapest reliable option for Valkyries games, and the upper corners behave the same way for Warriors.
The other budget angle is timing, not location: weeknight games against rebuilding teams are dramatically cheaper than weekend or marquee matchups, and the same seat can swing wildly in price depending on the opponent.
Our Pick
If you only take one piece of advice: the low rows of the upper sideline, as near center court as you can find. It’s the best watch-the-game seat in the building relative to price, the elevated angle is genuinely excellent, and you keep hundreds in your pocket versus the lower bowl. Splurge on a lower sideline center seat once if you want to feel the speed of an NBA game up close — but the value play is up top at center.
Best Seats for Concerts
Concerts flip the math, because now there’s a stage at one end and the “best seat” is about facing it, not center court. For a reserved-seat show, the lower 100s along the sides angled toward the stage are the sweet spot — close, straight-on, and comfortable. On the floor, front sections (typically Floor 1 through 3) sit within roughly 25 rows of the stage, but read the specific show’s map before buying, because artists constantly resize, remove, or add floor sections and some play to a general-admission floor.
What to avoid at a concert: anything behind or hard beside the stage. Sections that are excellent for basketball — the ones behind that basket — become obstructed or curtained-off dead zones for an end-stage show. Watch for the soundboard too; a rear floor section can lose rows to the mix position. When a section is priced suspiciously low for a concert, the stage layout is usually why.
Premium Seating Options
Chase Center’s premium tiers are legitimately among the best in the NBA, and they’re organized by where you sit — each seating zone unlocks a specific club. From the floor up: courtside seats feed the exclusive lower clubs, the lower sideline feeds the big lounge clubs, and a reservations-only cantina is open to anyone with a ticket. Prices run from “nice upgrade” to “small four-figure night,” so match the tier to the occasion.
The Best Premium Experience
The signature splurge is a courtside seat with Chase Club access (the lower rows in the 2–23 courtside sections). You’re inches from the floor with a private tunnel to your seat and an all-inclusive lounge — upscale food and drink, beer and wine included — steps away. Above that sit the true VIP courtside rows (AA and BB), which unlock the JP Morgan Club, the building’s most exclusive space, with dedicated mixologists and sushi chefs. This is white-glove, celebrities-nearby, corporate-blowout territory, and priced accordingly.
Best Value Premium
Here’s the insider call: the lower sideline club seats in the 101–106 range that unlock the United Club (the arena’s largest club space, with a massive central bar and multiple dining options). You get a great lower-bowl sideline seat and full club access — the lounge, the bar, the food — for a fraction of what courtside costs. The 113–118 sideline seats do the same through the Ultra Club, Chase Center’s only two-story bar with court views from the upper level. Either one is the “most of the premium experience, half the premium price” move.
And the genuine sleeper, open to every ticket holder: the Modelo Cantina (reservations only, accessed via the stairs at portal 40). You don’t need a premium seat — any ticket plus a reservation gets you an expansive club view and an all-inclusive or à la carte menu. It’s the best-kept value in the building. The Bridges area behind the home basket is another quirk worth knowing: two rows of long communal tables tucked below the Cantina, one reserved and one standing-room, for fans who’d rather eat, drink, and hover than sit.
Other Premium Options
Beyond those, the Pepsi Club serves the 126–129 sideline sections with a sports-bar energy, craft cocktails, and elevated concessions — a solid mid-tier club upgrade. The Acrisure Theater Boxes along the sideline are four-person semi-private boxes with a dining table, plush balcony seats, VIP parking, and club access — ideal for a couple or a small group that wants premium without a whole suite. Skip past any of these to the club that matches your seat; the access comes with the ticket location, so buy the seat and the lounge follows.
Suites & Group Options
Chase Center has three private-suite formats. The Courtside Lounge Suites (also called Bunker Suites) sit at event level beneath the lower bowl — Napa-inspired private lounges for roughly 12–20 with butler service and VIP parking, the top of the market. The mid-level Club Suites between the 100 and 200 levels hold larger groups (up to around 30) with in-suite catering and balcony seats, the standard corporate-entertaining option. Warriors game catering is typically included; concerts and secondary events usually aren’t. Book directly through the team or a suite marketplace, and expect suite nights to run well into four figures and up depending on opponent and size.
Chase Center Seating Chart
Chase Center holds 18,064 for basketball (Warriors and Valkyries) and expands to roughly 19,500 for concerts. The bowl is a standard three-tier arena layout: a lower level (100s), a club/mid ring (the clubs, suites, and 200s), and an upper level. Every ticket lists a portal — a lettered or numbered entry point to the bowl — and you’re asked to enter at your assigned portal, which genuinely speeds things up, so check your ticket before you get in a security line.
For an interactive seating chart to help you choose your seats and plan your visit, you can refer to the official Chase Center website: Chase Center Seating Chart.
Getting The Best Tickets at The Chase Center
Demand at Chase Center splits three ways, and the buying strategy changes with each. Warriors games are the priciest and steadiest — marquee opponents (Lakers, Celtics) and weekends command a premium, while weeknight games against rebuilding teams are where value lives; the secondary market often beats face value for the lesser games as season-ticket holders dump inventory.
Valkyries games can be the harder ticket to actually get — the inaugural season sold out every night — but face value runs far below Warriors pricing, so buy early rather than hoping for a last-minute deal.
Concerts are all about the stage map: confirm the configuration before you commit, because a “great” section number can be a bad concert seat. Across the board, prices are opponent- and date-driven, so flexibility on when you go saves more than any seating trick.
Get Golden State Warriors Tickets Here! Buy the best tickets to the Warriors, Valkyries, Concerts or any event at Chase Center through the link provided from our partner Vivid Seats.
Chase Center Bag Policy
Bags cannot exceed 14″ × 6″ × 14″, and backpacks of any size are prohibited — including small fashion and drawstring backpacks. Bags don’t have to be clear (a common misconception), just within size. Hard-sided bags, coolers, briefcases, camera bags, laptops, and professional cameras are also out. Everything gets screened at entry, so a small purse, tote, or wristlet moves you through fastest.
If you show up with something over the limit, there’s no self-service locker system inside — but there is on-site bag check for a small fee (a donation to the Warriors Community Foundation), located at the Bike Valet on 16th Street. It opens before events and closes about an hour after.
if you’re coming straight from the airport, a hotel, or a day in the city with actual luggage, the on-site bag check isn’t built for suitcases and the lines back up — use an off-site luggage-storage service (Bounce, Radical, LuggageHero, and similar all have partner spots within a short walk) and travel to the arena light.
Key Arena Policies To Know
A few things surprise first-timers. Entry is contactless and mobile-only — your ticket lives on your phone, so screenshot it or download it in advance in case Mission Bay cell service chokes on a sold-out crowd. Strollers are not permitted in the arena, but stroller and bag check is offered free for families.
Children two and under don’t need a ticket. No outside food or drink, and no re-entry once you’ve scanned in, so don’t step out expecting to come back. Event-specific rules (stricter camera policies at certain concerts, for instance) get posted on the event page, so check it the day of.
Chase Center is entirely cashless. Every concession, bar, and merch stand takes cards and mobile pay (Apple Pay, Google Pay) and nothing takes cash. If you’ve only got bills, cash-to-card kiosks around the concourses convert cash to a prepaid card you can spend anywhere in the building. Some stands even run pay-by-face kiosks if you’re set up for it. Plan to tap, not to pay cash.
Accessibility here is very solid. All entrances are wheelchair accessible, ADA and companion seating is available in every price category based on availability, and accessible parking sits in the garage on a first-come basis. Complimentary wheelchair escorts can be requested at the guest-experience kiosks (Portals 13 and 53) or by text. Hearing assistance, accessible restrooms, and service-animal accommodations are all covered in the venue’s A-to-Z guide.
To stay updated on all policies at the Chase Center click here.
Getting to the Chase Center
The single best decision you’ll make is not driving. Chase Center is a transit-first building with the light rail stopping at its front door, and your event ticket doubles as a free Muni pass — so unless you have a specific reason to drive, take the train.
Public Transit (Muni, BART, Caltrain & Ferry)
The Muni Metro T Third line stops at the UCSF/Chase Center station directly outside the south entrance — you step off the train at the gates. Here’s the part people miss: your same-day event ticket is a free all-day Muni pass (everything except cable cars), good until 2 a.m. the next morning, not just around game time.
Ride in for lunch, bounce around the city all afternoon, hit the game, and get home, all on the one ticket. From downtown, the Central Subway feeds the T and shaves up to 20 minutes off the old route — transfer at Powell and ride the T straight in.
From the East Bay, take BART to 16th Street Mission and hop the free 78X Arena Express shuttle (running 2.5 hours before to an hour after), or connect through Powell to the T. From the Peninsula, Caltrain to 4th & King leaves you a 12–15 minute walk or a one-stop transfer to the T. And on Warriors home dates, a ferry runs from Oakland and Alameda to Pier 48½, a scenic half-mile walk up the waterfront.
Rideshare & Waymo
Drop-off is easy — the marked white-curb zones along Terry A Francois Boulevard and 16th Street near the south entrance. Getting out is the real problem: the official pickup zone clogs the second the buzzer sounds, waits run 10–25 minutes, and surge pricing bites hard after a sellout. The fix locals swear by is to walk five minutes east on 16th toward Third Street and request from outside the arena’s geo-fenced surge zone — drivers reach you faster and the fare often drops.
Better still, kill 20–30 minutes at a nearby bar and let the crush clear entirely. Waymo’s driverless pickup runs from a designated zone about a block off the arena, with fixed pricing instead of surge — a legitimately better option here when it’s available.
Chase Center Parking
If you must drive, the Mercedes-Benz Garage attached to the arena (99 Warriors Way) is the most convenient — an escalator runs straight into the south concourse — but it’s prepaid-only, carries a real premium, and traps you in the worst of the exit traffic. UCSF Mission Bay lots and perimeter garages a 5–10 minute walk out cost meaningfully less and let you slip the gridlock; book ahead through SpotHero or the Warriors app either way, since day-of fills fast.
Skip street parking entirely — Mission Bay’s residential blocks are permit-only with aggressive event-night tow patrols. And if the Giants are home at Oracle Park the same night, the whole district locks up: park north of Oracle and walk, or just take the T.
Regular’s getaway hack: skip the arena garages and park south in Dogpatch, around Indiana and 15th, where street parking is often free. The 15-minute walk back to your car takes you away from the bottleneck and drops you right onto I-280 south — it can save you 45 minutes of idling in a garage-exit line.
Chase Center Insider Tips
If you’re a local or a first-timer at Chase Center, this is the stuff that actually changes your night — getting in early, eating well, saving money, and catching the parts of the building people miss.
What Makes Chase Center Special
Walk the waterfront before you sit down. Bayfront Park and the water at sunset are the best free thing about the whole complex, and reason enough to arrive early — take the upper concourse and the promenade before you find your seat.
Even the cheap seats get a great replay. The arena runs the largest scoreboard in the NBA, so the view of every replay is genuinely good from anywhere in the building.
Getting In: Doors, Early Entry & Portals
Chase cardholders get in 30 minutes early. Doors open about 90 minutes before tip-off, but a Chase credit card gets you a dedicated West Entrance on the bay side half an hour ahead — prime time for the promenade, an empty concourse, and whatever’s happening in Thrive City.
Enter at the portal listed on your ticket, not the first gate you see. It drops you closest to your seat and past fewer crowds.
The Chase Center App
Order food ahead in the app — it’s the single best line hack in the building. Set up your order while you walk to your seat, then pick up without the scrum. On a busy night this saves you an entire quarter.
Best Food Inside Chase Center
Go local and skip the generic stands. The nacho-and-pretzel counters aren’t the point — the local vendors are. Hot Dog Bill’s burgerdog is the signature (portals 9 and 55), Big Nate’s BBQ does a proper pulled-pork sandwich (portals 11, 20, 43), plus Filipino Sarap Shop (portal 49) and fully vegan The Green House (portal 57).
Try what’s new this season. Pure Catch for poke nachos, Stacked Sandos for West Coast cheesesteaks, Nuevos for New Mexican, and Swish & Sugar for warm Mitchell’s ice-cream desserts.
How to Save Money at Chase Center
Ride free instead of paying to park. Your event ticket doubles as an all-day Muni pass — the single biggest saving available here.
Watch the secondary-market apps right at tip-off. Unsold lower-bowl and premium seats often drop sharply once the game starts and sellers cut their losses, so if you went in cheap you can sometimes land a legit lower-bowl upgrade for less than you’d expect.
Team Store & the Bag Trick
Buy at the Warriors Shop in Thrive City before you head in. The 10,000-square-foot store’s shopping bag clears security even though backpacks don’t — it gets your gear inside without a bag-check fee and spares you the brutal postgame merch line.
Or buy online ahead of time. Checking Fanatics before you leave can save you a few dollars versus arena pricing.
Also if you want to snag some merch before you head to the arena, check out the gear that our partner Fanatics has. You can probably save a few bucks vs the arena.
Instagrammable Spots
Shoot the waterfront promenade and Bayfront Park at golden hour — bay, bridge light, and the arena behind you. It’s the signature frame.
Inside, stop at the upper-concourse bay windows and the championship banners — the two shots worth the detour.
Families & Kids
Under-twos are free, and stroller check is complimentary (strollers can’t come into the bowl). The wide concourses make it an easy building to navigate with kids.
Aim for lower-sideline or low upper-sideline seats. Close enough to hold a kid’s attention, without paying courtside for a seven-year-old.
Order food in the app so you’re not dragging kids through concession lines.
Autographs & Player Access
Position by the lower-bowl tunnels during warmups, 60–90 minutes before tip. Players come out for shootaround in that window, and the lower corners by the tunnel are your best shot at a signature before the crowd thickens.
Catching a Valkyries Game (Ballhalla)
Don’t sleep on the Valkyries — it’s the value experience in the building. The inaugural season sold out every night, the “Ballhalla” crowd is loud and genuinely fun, and tickets cost a fraction of a Warriors night, so you can sit far lower for the same money. Home games regularly feature local halftime acts and Bay Area faces in the crowd.
If You’ve Got Extra Time in the City
Most of you are local, so this is a quick one — but if you’re making a night of it, the waterfront walk between Chase Center and Oracle Park (about a mile up Third Street) is the best pregame stroll, lined with bars and bay views. Out-of-towners with a free afternoon can knock out the classic SF hits — the Ferry Building for food, a walk along the Embarcadero, or Golden Gate Park — but honestly, the arena and its waterfront are the trip for most people here.
Hotels Near The Chase Center
If you’re staying over for a Chase Center event, prioritize walkability or a direct Muni line over saving a few dollars on a far-flung room — the T line makes a lot of neighborhoods viable, but nothing beats walking home after a sold-out show. Gameday and concert weekends tighten up fast, so book a couple weeks out for anything marquee.
Best Areas to Stay
Mission Bay / SoMa is the closest and most convenient — walkable to the arena or one quick T stop away, modern hotels, though it quiets down after business hours. Union Square is the classic San Francisco base: best shopping and dining, more to do, and a straightforward Central Subway ride to the arena (10–15 minutes). Fisherman’s Wharf suits families and budget-minded visitors who want the tourist SF experience, at the cost of a longer trip to the venue.
Hotel Recommendations
In Mission Bay/SoMa, LUMA Hotel is the standout for arena-goers — walkable to Chase Center and home to Cavaña, a Latin rooftop bar that’s a destination in itself, while Hotel VIA is a sharp SoMa boutique steps from Caltrain and the T. For luxury, the St. Regis in Yerba Buena and the Westin St. Francis on Union Square (the only hotel directly on the square, with cable cars at the door) are the grand-scale picks. Hotel Emblem gives you a stylish, walkable Union Square boutique for less than the marquee names. All are an easy T or short ride to the arena.
Budget Options
Hyatt Place San Francisco Downtown in SoMa is the reliable value play — contemporary rooms, rooftop bar, and a quick trip to the venue. For families, Hotel Zephyr on Fisherman’s Wharf trades proximity for a fun, nautical-themed base near Pier 39; you’re about 15 minutes out by ride, but you’re in the middle of the tourist action.
Bars/Restaurants Near The Chase Center
The area right around the arena has finally grown into itself. Thrive City, the plaza wrapped around Chase Center, is now a real dining destination rather than just convenient fuel, and a short walk into Dogpatch and along the Mission Bay waterfront opens up the best of it. Here’s where regulars actually go.
Best Pregame & Postgame Bars
Splash is the big one — a two-level, 30,000-square-foot sports bar directly across from the arena with dozens of TVs plus a new 840-square-foot curved LED wall out in the plaza, tailor-made for a group or for watching a game (or a World Cup match) you couldn’t get tickets to. Mission Rock Resort, a few steps from the arena on the water, is the classic meet-up spot — grab a cocktail at the bar while you wait for a waterfront table, though it packs with blue-and-gold jerseys on game nights.
The Ramp in Dogpatch has one of the best patios in the city, huge and bay-facing, with live music on weekends. Atwater, sitting between Chase Center and Oracle Park, runs a dollar-oyster happy hour and a waterfront patio. And for cocktails, Third Rail (great drinks plus their own jerky) and The Sea Star (a dive-bar-shaped cocktail spot with a pool table) are the Dogpatch move, both a 10–12 minute walk.
Best Restaurants in the Area
For a sit-down before the game, Miller & Lux — Tyler Florence’s steakhouse right in Thrive City — is the upscale anchor. The area’s best newer spot is Fikscue, an Indonesian-Texas barbecue mashup (2025 Best New Restaurant) with smoky brisket and rendang sides. Che Fico Pizzeria does excellent sourdough-crust pies with a slice window and soft-serve gelato for quick nights, and Señor Sisig — now a permanent brick-and-mortar on the plaza, decked out in Warriors colors — is the reliable pre-tip move for sisig burritos and sinigang wings with plenty of TVs and a patio.
Walk a little into Dogpatch or Mission Bay and Casey’s Pizza (Neapolitan) and Piccino (a light-filled Cal-Ital spot, best before a rare day game) round out the list. For a sweet finish without leaving Thrive City, The Baked Bear builds custom ice-cream sandwiches.
Why You Should Go
Chase Center earns the hype. The bay views are real, the food is a genuine cut above arena standard, the premium clubs are among the best in the NBA, and between the Warriors, a Valkyries team that’s become the loudest ticket in town, and a stacked concert calendar, there’s almost always something worth the trip. It’s expensive and the exit is a grind — but sort your seats, ride the free Muni in, and plan your way out, and it’s one of the best nights the Bay Area offers.
Check out our all of our Arena guides as well as these Bay Area and California Gems:
Oracle Park and Levi’s Stadium
Crypto.com Arena in LA (formerly the Staples Center)
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.