Bank of America Stadium

Choosing a seat at Bank of America Stadium

Start with the side, then the level, then the row. For an afternoon Carolina Panthers game in September or October, a seat on the west side keeps you out of the sun as the game goes on. Within that side, the best views come from the upper half of the lower-level sideline sections or from the 300-level clubs, and the best value comes from the sideline sections of the 500 level, roughly 516 to 534 and the matching block across the field.

Bank of America Stadium is an uncovered football and soccer stadium on Mint Street in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, and it has been open since August 3, 1996. The Carolina Panthers (NFL) play here, as does Charlotte FC (MLS), which arrived in 2022. The calendar also includes the ACC Championship Game, the Duke's Mayo Bowl, international soccer matches and summer stadium tours. Capacity stood at 75,037 in 2025, and that number has moved up and down with each renovation.

Sun, shade and the seats that underdeliver

In an uncovered stadium, sun exposure is part of the price of a seat, even if the listing never mentions it.

• East side, early season: the east half of the bowl gets the heavier dose of sun, according to seating guides, with upper sections numbered roughly 515 through 530 hit hardest. A 1 p.m. kickoff there can mean three hours of direct sun.
• West side, early season: both the upper deck and the lower sidelines on the west side slide into shade as the afternoon progresses.
• Late season: in November and December the logic flips, and some fans pick the sunny east side to stay warm.

A few seats look better on a map than they feel in person:

• Rows 1 through 5 or so on the lower sidelines. With only about 19 rows in the lower bowl, the first few rows look straight into the backs of players, coaches and staff standing along the bench area. A row in the teens costs a little more and shows far more.
• High rows in the 500-level end zones. These are the least expensive seats in the building because a play at the opposite goal line looks tiny from up there.
• Any 100-level seat on a wet day without rain gear. The lower level has no overhead cover, and umbrellas are prohibited, so bring a poncho.

Lower bowl, clubs and upper deck compared

Three public tiers make up the bowl, separated by suite levels. The section ranges below are drawn from seat-view sites and seating guides and line up with the tiers on the stadium's map.

• 100 level, sections 101 to 140: about 19 rows, no roof overhead. One guide runs the numbering as high as 151, so confirm the section against a map whenever a listing looks unfamiliar.
• 300 level clubs, sections 308 to 323 and 336 to 351: sideline seats that are wider and cushioned, backed by indoor, climate-controlled lounges. Suites and club spaces occupy the 300 and 400 levels.
• 500 level, sections 501 to 554: the top tier, roughly 34 rows from front to back. Sideline seats fall between about 516 and 534 on one side and in the mirror-image block on the other.

The clubs are the most comfortable compromise in the building. They sit high enough to read formations, and the indoor lounges matter on a cold December Sunday. The 500-level sidelines give you the full overhead picture of a play developing for far less than the lower sidelines command.

Seats by event: Panthers, Charlotte FC and concerts

Panthers games

Demand peaks for lower-level seats between the 20s. Per one seating guide, Carolina's bench faces sections 129 to 134, and the visiting team's faces 109 to 114. Teams can switch benches, so confirm before paying a premium for a specific sideline. Road fans, seating guides say, usually end up high in the end zones, a detail that is useful to know if you are traveling with the road team or want to avoid them.

Charlotte FC matches

For a typical Charlotte FC match, only the bottom tier and the clubs are sold, which works out to about 38,000 seats. The 100-level sidelines near midfield are the clear first choice.

Stadium concerts

For most tours the stage goes at one end, the seats behind it are taken off sale and a field section is added. Your best reserved picks are the lower side sections closest to the stage and the clubs on the 300 level. The building's biggest crowd, 82,193, came for a benefit show for Hurricane Helene relief on October 26, 2024, billed as the Concert for Carolina.

Bags, gates and what you can carry in

As of the 2026 season, any bag you carry has to be see-through (plastic, vinyl or PVC) and fit within 12 by 6 by 12 inches. A small purse, clutch or fanny pack is fine if it measures 4.5 by 6.5 inches or less. Medical containers need to be cleared with security ahead of time, and arriving with no bag at all gets you through the gate fastest. Check the stadium's clear-bag page before you go.

• Gate times: normally two hours before kickoff.
• Ticket format: on your phone, in either the Panthers app or Ticketmaster.
• Water: each guest may carry two factory-sealed, plain water bottles of 16.9 ounces.
• Not allowed: coolers, umbrellas, strollers, and any other food or drink brought from outside.
• Smoking: banned inside the stadium, including vaping and e-cigarettes.
• Nursing rooms: located by sections 119, 129, 313, 525 and 548.

Reserved Seat orders for Panthers games come with guaranteed entry.

Parking, LYNX and tailgating rules

Uptown hotels, restaurants and rail lines are a short walk from the gates.

• Parking: the stadium counts upward of 30,000 spaces no more than about 15 minutes away on foot. For 2026, you can reserve a spot ahead of time through SpotHero or Ticketmaster. The nearest lots sell out first on Panthers Sundays, and rates vary by event.
• Light rail: ride the LYNX Blue Line to Brooklyn Village station, a short walk away. Its park-and-ride lots let you leave the car outside uptown. The CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar also serves uptown.
• Rideshare: use one of two marked zones: College Street, from 3rd Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, or Mint Street by the I-277 interchange, south of the gates. For accessible drop-off, go to the Mint and Morehead corner.
• Tailgating: in lots the stadium runs, grills with open flames must stay at least 25 feet from any building and 10 feet from any car, charcoal is not allowed, and no cooking is permitted in decks. Privately run lots have their own policies.

The stadium's parking and directions page lists current options.

How the stadium got here

The Panthers played their first season, 1995, at Clemson while the stadium was built. Construction began with an April 22, 1994 groundbreaking. The roughly 500 million dollar building, a design by Wagner Murray Architects and HOK Sport (today called Populous), opened in 1996 under the name Ericsson Stadium, and the Bank of America name followed in 2004. After David Tepper purchased the franchise in 2018, and Tepper Sports and Entertainment now owns and runs the stadium. Six bronze panther statues stand at the entrances.

Renovations have come in waves. A 2014 to 2017 project installed 200-by-56-foot video boards at each end zone, and the original Bermuda grass was replaced with FieldTurf in 2021, a year before Charlotte FC began play. The Duke's Mayo Bowl has called the stadium home since 2002, and the ACC title game has landed here most seasons since 2010. Next up is a planned overhaul of about 800 million dollars running from 2026 to 2029, so expect construction-related changes during that window.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Bank of America Stadium
• Bank of America Stadium – Clear Bag Policy
• Bank of America Stadium – Parking and Directions
• Bank of America Stadium – Stadium Policies A–Z
• Bank of America Stadium – Seating Map
• TickPick – Carolina Panthers seating chart
• A View From My Seat – Bank of America Stadium sections
• RateYourSeats – Bank of America Stadium 100 level
• RateYourSeats – Bank of America Stadium 500 level
• Wikipedia – Carolina Panthers