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Parking, bag policy, transit and history are on the main Rose Bowl Stadium guide.
Your Rose Bowl seat in four rules
For football, buy a sideline section between the 20-yard lines, somewhere around rows 20–40. That height clears the crowd on the sideline and still keeps you close. The Rose Bowl is one unbroken bowl with no upper deck, so the row number does the job a level does at other stadiums.
- Rule 1, sideline over end zone: the sidelines also tend to have seats with backs; the end zones lean on benches.
- Rule 2, skip the lowest rows: the front of the bowl is nearly flat to the field. Seating guides advise staying above row 10.
- Rule 3, check the half: every section splits into an L half and an H half on either side of an aisle.
- Rule 4, match the sun: for a late-afternoon start, the west sideline shades first.
Sections 1–28 and the L/H split
Two seating guides and a seat-photo archive agree there are 28 sections, each split by a center aisle into an L half (low seat numbers) and an H half (high seat numbers). Read "18H, row 30" as: section 18, high-numbers side of the aisle, the thirtieth numbered row. Seats in 18L and 18H share a section number yet sit across an aisle from each other, so confirm the seat numbers if you want to sit together.
Two seating guides agree on the general layout, though they draw zone edges a little differently:
- East sideline: roughly 1–8, across the field from the pavilion.
- North end zone: low-to-mid teens.
- West sideline: roughly 16–20 (one guide stretches it to 22), facing the field from below the Terry Donahue Pavilion, a seven-level tower housing the press box and premium areas.
- South end zone: the 20s, wrapping back to 28 and then 1.
In other words, counting starts on the east side, swings past the north goal, runs along the pavilion side and loops back through the south end.
Row height: lettered, numbered and the sweet spot
The front of each section uses lettered rows. Numbered rows start at 1 after them and climb toward the rim. Two sources place the top row in the 70s, with one guide citing 77 and a seat-photo archive showing tickets up to 73.
The trouble with low rows
The bowl rises gently from the field, which leaves the lettered rows and the lowest numbered rows close to sideline height. Players, coaches and photographers end up in your view. That is why the 2014 renovation took out the lettered rows behind both benches; low rows in other parts of the bowl remain just as flat.
The case for high rows
No overhang sits above any seat. The top rows are far from the field, but they see all of it, plus the hills around the Arroyo Seco, with nothing in the way. A high sideline seat is a better football view than a low end-zone seat.
Shade, seat type and comfort
Sun by kickoff time
There is no canopy, so shade comes only from the pavilion and the sun's angle. A shade guide breaks it down:
- Noon or 1 p.m. start: almost every seat is in the sun. Bring a hat; section choice barely matters.
- Late afternoon: every row of 16–20 on the west side is shaded.
- Within a section: the top rows lose the sun first and the field-level rows keep it longest.
- East sideline (about 1–8): the sunniest seats in the building.
For a 4 p.m. or later kickoff, the west sideline is worth paying more for if heat bothers you.
Seat backs or benches
Along the sidelines you will usually get a real chair with a back. Behind the goals, expect benches, and in a few sections the last row is a bench whose only backrest is the concrete wall behind it. Over a long afternoon, that difference adds up.
The South Field Club
Under a plan announced for 2026, roughly 5,000 bench seats at the south end are being replaced by the South Field Club at field level. Until then, expect ordinary bleachers at the south end, and look at your event's map, because building work may pull some sections off sale.
Premium seating in the pavilion
The Terry Donahue Pavilion on the west side holds 54 suites, 48 loge boxes and about 1,200 club seats, plus the press box. Seat-photo archives label its club areas Club D and Club E, separate from the 1–28 bowl sections.
- Club seats: wider padded seats plus use of the pavilion's indoor spaces.
- Loge boxes: private boxes at midfield, which UCLA describes as the most exclusive seats it sells.
- Suites: enclosed rooms on the pavilion's upper floors.
With indoor space and a position on the side that shades first, the pavilion is the most comfortable place to watch a hot day game.
Concert floors, soccer and closed sections
Concerts cover the field with floor seating, which seat-photo archives show tagged by letter (A, B, J and so on) instead of number. Most tours build the stage at one end. That makes the far end zone the most distant place to sit, while side sections close to the stage get the best angle. The floor is flat, so its back rows can see less than a middle row in a nearby side section.
For soccer, choose seats as you would for football: sideline first. Expect that some events will not use the whole bowl. During UCLA's 2021 season, for example, the upper north end zone was tarped off, trimming capacity to 69,747, so a grayed-out north end on a map usually means those seats are closed. Every Reserved Seat order is backed by a 100% guarantee.
Accessible seating for UCLA games and events
At UCLA games you can book accessible seating through UCLA Athletics by phone or on its website, and if space remains, you can trade a regular ticket for an accessible one on game day. For wheelchair help, ask a guest services attendant; customer service desks inside the stadium include Tunnel 28 and Gate F. One seating guide notes that companions of wheelchair users are given folding chairs.
The stadium does not run free shuttle carts, so plan for the walk from ADA parking and drop-off. For a concert or the Rose Bowl Game, buy accessible seats through that event's own ticket seller; check the UCLA gameday guide or the event's ticket page for current details.
Frequently asked questions
What row should you sit in at the Rose Bowl for football?
Around rows 20–40 on a sideline between the 20-yard lines. Seating guides advise staying above row 10, because the lowest rows sit nearly level with the sideline crowd.
Which Rose Bowl sections are on the sidelines?
Two seating guides place the east sideline at roughly sections 1–8 and the west sideline at roughly 16–20, in front of the Terry Donahue Pavilion. The end zones take the teens and the 20s.
Are 18L and 18H next to each other at the Rose Bowl?
Not quite. They share a section but sit across a center aisle from each other. L is the low-numbered half and H the high-numbered half.
Which side of the Rose Bowl is shaded?
The west side. A shade guide reports every row of sections 16–20 is shaded in late afternoon, while the east sideline is the sunniest. At noon or 1 p.m. almost every seat is in the sun.
Do Rose Bowl end-zone seats have backs?
Mostly not. Expect benches behind the goals; chairs with backs are mainly a sideline feature.
Can you exchange a UCLA ticket for an accessible seat at the Rose Bowl?
Yes, on game day, if accessible seats remain. You can also book them ahead through UCLA Athletics online or by phone.