Gillette Stadium

Looking for section numbers and the best seats by level? See the Gillette Stadium Seating Chart.

Pick Your Sideline First

At Gillette Stadium, the two sidelines are a real choice. The Patriots bench is on the east sideline, below sections 108–111, and that side stays in the sun for afternoon games. The visitors use the west sideline, below sections 130–135, and that side drops into shade. So you decide between watching the home team up close and staying out of the glare. In September, shade usually wins. In late November, the sunny east side can be the warmer seat.

The stadium has no roof and stands beside Route 1 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a drive of about 22 miles from Boston toward the southwest. Its 64,628 football seats serve two tenants, the NFL's Patriots and the Revolution of MLS. It opened on May 11, 2002, and the Kraft Group, through Kraft Sports Group, owns and runs it along with both teams. Because it is a suburban stadium reached mostly by car or a special train, getting there and home is half the planning.

Levels, Midfield Markers and the Lighthouse End

The stadium has three tiers:

• 100s, the lower bowl. The seats nearest the field.
• 200s and CL sections, the mezzanine. The middle tier. The CL (club) seats run along both sidelines and open onto the heated Cross Insurance Club lounges, one on each side of the field.
• 300s, the upper bowl. The top tier. A cross-aisle runs through it, with seven rows below the aisle.

Use these anchors when you read a listing. On the Patriots side, sections 109 and 110 sit at midfield. On the visitor side, midfield is 131 and 132. Behind the north goal line, sections 140–143 sit beneath a 218-foot lighthouse; work completed there in 2023 brought a video board the stadium bills as the biggest of its type in the United States.

Sun and Shade by Section

The field runs northwest to southeast, and the afternoon sun comes over the west stands. For a 4 p.m. kickoff, shade-tracking guides list these zones:

• Shaded, west (visitor) side: about sections 125–138 in the lower bowl, 223–238 on the mezzanine and 323–340 upstairs.
• Sunny, home-bench side to the east: roughly 101–115, 201–215 and 301–315.

Covered seating is scarce. Just the last rows of the 100s, which sit beneath the club deck, get real protection from rain or snow. Plan clothing for the weather, not for the roof.

Where the Views Are Worth Paying For

• Lower sideline, roughly rows 13 to 29. Tall enough to see across the benches and take in the whole field.
• Midfield club. Sections CL9–CL10 behind the home bench or CL31–CL32 across from it pair a strong angle with indoor lounge access, which matters a lot in December.
• Upper bowl at the 50. Sections 309–310 above the home bench, or 331–332 across the field. Buy rows 1 through 7, in front of the walkway, for a much closer feel than the rows behind it.

Seats with drawbacks

• High rows in the upper corners. The farthest seats in the building, and fully exposed to December wind.
• Lower end zones for full-game viewing. Great near the goal line and under the lighthouse; hard to judge plays between the 30s.

Concert and Soccer Seating

Summer stadium tours use Gillette regularly, usually with an end stage. Floor sections near the stage and lower sideline sections near that end give the best blend of distance and angle. Some fans say the rear rows of the 100s get hit by stage lights aimed into the stands, a point worth weighing if bright light bothers you.

For Revolution matches the same rule applies: sit low and near the halfway line. Doors open roughly 60 minutes before a Revolution match. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup it carried the temporary name Boston Stadium and hosted seven matches.

Train, Car or Rideshare to Foxborough

Route 1 is the one road everyone uses, and it jams on every event day. Choose a plan and stick with it.

The event train

Special MBTA Commuter Rail trains run from Boston's South Station (with stops at Back Bay and Dedham Corporate Center) to Foxboro Station, and some events add trains from Providence. You reach the stadium about an hour early, and the return train leaves around half an hour after the final whistle or encore. The mTicket app is the only place to buy the round trip; tickets cannot be refunded and do sell out, so book ahead. Schedules are on the MBTA's Gillette Stadium page.

Driving

For the 2025 season, general parking at Patriots games was free, with lots opening at kickoff minus four hours; the lots nearest the stadium need a prepaid pass. Near Route 1, follow police and attendants rather than your navigation app. Overnight parking is not permitted.

Rideshare

For football and soccer, Uber and Lyft cars meet riders in Lot 15 near the CVS Health Gate; concerts use Lot 16. Stopping on Route 1 to drop someone off is illegal.

Bags, Gates and Tailgating Rules

These rules were in force for the 2025 season; confirm them with the stadium before game day.

• Bags: choose one of three: a transparent bag no larger than 12 by 12 by 6 inches, a clear gallon freezer bag, or a wristlet no larger than 6.5 by 4.5 inches. Anything else goes in a mobile locker.
• Gate times for Patriots games: about three hours early for club and suite entrances, about two hours early for everyone else.
• Tickets: phone only, through the stadium's app.
• Re-entry: once you leave a Patriots or Revolution game, you stay out.
• Payment: cashless, with kiosks that turn cash into a card.

Tailgating starts when the lots open. Keep grills contained and attended at all times. Every Reserved Seat order is covered by a 100% guarantee.

Patriot Place and the Stadium's Story

Give yourself time before kickoff. Patriot Place, the shopping and restaurant complex next door, offers dozens of places to eat, and the team's Hall of Fame shares the area with the ProShop. Visitors can climb the north-end lighthouse to an observation deck that looks in every direction, and the stadium's bridge was designed after Boston's Longfellow Bridge.

Gillette replaced Foxboro Stadium, which stood next door. It cost about 325 million dollars and carried the name CMGI Field when it opened in 2002, until Gillette took over the naming rights. Its record since includes Patriots playoff games, major summer concerts and World Cup soccer.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Gillette Stadium
• Gillette Stadium – A to Z Guide
• Gillette Stadium – Bag Policy
• Gillette Stadium – Parking
• Gillette Stadium – Transportation
• MBTA – Gillette Stadium event trains
• SeatGeek – New England Patriots fan guide
• Shaded Seats – Gillette Stadium sun and shade
• A View From My Seat – Gillette Stadium