This Rogers Arena guide comes down to five rules. Arrive by SkyTrain, because Stadium-Chinatown station is next door and the arena’s own parkade is closed to the public on Canucks nights. Carry a bag no bigger than 35 x 35 x 15 cm. Have your mobile ticket open and a card or phone ready, since the building is cashless. Eat before you come or buy inside, because outside food isn’t allowed. And pick your level with care: the 100-level lower bowl, the 200-level clubs and suites, or the steep 300-level upper bowl.
This page is for anyone heading to a Canucks or Warriors game or a concert at Vancouver’s downtown arena, and it’s part of our guide to sports in Vancouver. The caveat: policies can change by event, especially for concerts, so check your event page on the day. Everything below was checked September 25, 2026 against Rogers Arena, the Canucks and TransLink.
Rogers Arena at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where is it? | Griffiths Way, at the east end of downtown by False Creek, beside BC Place |
| Who plays there? | The Canucks (NHL) and the Warriors (NLL lacrosse), plus most big arena concerts |
| Nearest station | Stadium-Chinatown (Expo and Millennium Lines), next door |
| Tickets | Mobile only, through Ticketmaster or the team apps |
| Payment inside | Cashless: cards and phone payments only |
| Bag limit | 35 x 35 x 15 cm (14 x 14 x 6 inches); no bag check |
| Outside food | Not allowed, with limited exceptions for water |
| Re-entry | None: once you leave, you’re out |
| Parking | Arena parkade closed to the public for Canucks games; take transit |
| Children | 91 cm (36 inches) or shorter enter free; taller children need a ticket |
Where should you sit at Rogers Arena?
Rogers Arena seating runs over three levels. The lower bowl, on the 100 level, wraps the ice and puts you close enough to hear skates and boards. The 200 level holds club seats and suites, sold separately with their own lounges. The upper bowl, on the 300 level, is steep, which is good news: you look down onto the play rather than across it, and even the back rows feel closer to the ice than in many NHL buildings.
| Level | What it’s like | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 (lower bowl) | Close to the ice or stage, loud and immersive | First games, special occasions | Highest prices; low rows can make the far end hard to follow |
| 200 (clubs and suites) | Premium seats with lounges and in-seat comforts | Groups, business hosting, a splurge | Sold separately and priced accordingly |
| 300 (upper bowl) | Steep, with a full view of plays developing | Budget buyers, tactics fans | Stairs, and a long walk from the concourse in the top rows |
For hockey, a few rules of thumb help:
- Lower-bowl corners are often the best balance of view and price, with good angles on both goals.
- Centre-ice sides give the classic television view and cost the most.
- Upper-bowl ends are the cheapest seats in the building and still show the whole rink.
- Front rows behind the glass are thrilling for the hits but can make the far end of the ice hard to follow.
- Alcohol-free seating is available if you’d rather avoid the beer traffic, useful with children.
For concerts, the layout changes: the floor becomes standing room or seats, and the stage usually sits at one end, so side sections near the stage and the lower bowl facing it are the best-value seats. For buying hockey tickets, including which games cost least, see the Canucks game tickets guide.
What is the Rogers Arena bag policy?
The Rogers Arena bag policy is strict and consistently enforced. Bags, purses and backpacks may be no larger than 35 x 35 x 15 cm (14 x 14 x 6 inches), and every gate has walk-through metal detectors and a bag search. There’s no bag check on site, so anything larger has to go back to your car or hotel. Baby bags are allowed after screening.
- Outside food and drink: not allowed, with limited exceptions for water.
- Smoking and vaping: the arena is smoke-free, including cannabis, and there’s no designated smoking area outside.
- Leaving mid-event: there are no in-and-out privileges, so step outside and you won’t get back in.
Concerts sometimes add their own rules, such as limits on cameras, so check your event page. Arrive 15 to 20 minutes earlier than you think you need on big nights, because security lines build fast in the final half-hour.
When should you arrive, and how do you get out?
For a 7 p.m. Canucks game, aim to reach the arena doors by about 6:15 p.m. Doors have typically opened around 90 minutes before puck drop, so check your event page, and the security lines peak in the last 30 minutes before the start. Getting in earlier means shorter lines at the gates and the concession stands, time to find your seat, and the warm-ups, which are worth watching. For concerts, doors often open an hour or more before the opening act; floor ticket-holders in general admission should expect to queue longer.
Leaving is the bigger challenge. With up to 19,000 people exiting at once, the stairways and gates bottleneck for the first 10 to 15 minutes. If you’re not in a hurry, sit through the three stars and the crowd’s first surge, then leave. If you are, pick an exit on the side of the building facing where you’re going: toward Chinatown and the station, or toward Yaletown and the Canada Line. Agree on a meeting point outside before the game if you’re in a group, because mobile networks can slow down when thousands of people check their phones at once.
What can you eat and drink?
Concession stands run around every level, and the menus mix arena classics with local beer and wine, at arena prices. Everything is cashless: debit, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Buy before the warm-ups end or during play rather than at intermissions, when lines are longest. The legal drinking age in BC is 19, and ID checks are routine.
The better plan is often to eat first. Chinatown’s bakeries and barbecue shops are two blocks away, Gastown’s restaurants ten minutes’ walk north, and Yaletown’s patios a short walk south; on game nights they fill with jerseys, so book. After the game, the city’s late-night food options are the answer to arena-sized portions, and the Gastown bars guide covers post-game drinks.
How do you get to Rogers Arena?
Getting to Rogers Arena is easiest by SkyTrain. Stadium-Chinatown station on the Expo and Millennium Lines sits right beside the arena, and from the Canada Line, Yaletown-Roundhouse and Vancouver City Centre stations are each about a 10-minute walk. A one-zone tap costs C$3.50, and trips after 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend are charged as one zone anyway. Several downtown bus routes stop within a few blocks, and most downtown hotels are a 10- to 20-minute walk. The SkyTrain guide explains the lines.
- From the airport: ride the Canada Line into town and walk from Yaletown-Roundhouse; the YVR to downtown guide covers fares and timings.
- After the game: Stadium-Chinatown’s platforms queue for 20 minutes or more after big events. Walk to Yaletown-Roundhouse for the Canada Line, or to Waterfront, or simply walk to your hotel.
- Ride-hail and taxis: prices surge and streets jam immediately after the final horn. Walk a few blocks away before booking.
Can you park at Rogers Arena?
Rarely, and not for hockey. Rogers Arena parking is an underground parkade, Lot 987, entered from Griffiths Way, with a height clearance of 2 m (6 feet 6 inches). It opens to ticketholders no earlier than 15 minutes before the arena doors, and spaces can be reserved when you buy event tickets. But for Canucks games it isn’t open to the public at all, apart from a limited number of reserved disability stalls. For Warriors games a few public stalls are available, and for most other major events it’s first come, first served. Rogers Arena’s Fan Services team (604-899-7440) handles rates and accessible parking.
Other downtown parkades are within walking distance, but prices rise on event nights and the post-game exit is slow. Unless you need to drive, don’t.
Is Rogers Arena accessible?
Yes. Every entrance except Gate 3 is wheelchair accessible, and Gate 16 is the most convenient. Accessible seating, marked with WC locations on Ticketmaster, can be booked through the team’s ticketing or through Fan Services, which also arranges accessible parking. The arena publishes an “I Can Go to a Hockey Game” visual guide for first-time visitors and for fans who find crowds and noise hard, and Stadium-Chinatown station has elevators to its platforms, with a short, level walk to the doors.
Can you bring children?
Absolutely. Children 91 cm (36 inches) tall or shorter can enter without their own ticket; anyone taller needs one. Rogers Arena’s children and family guide covers the practicalities, baby bags are allowed after screening, and alcohol-free seating keeps families away from the busiest beer lines. Pack ear defenders for small children: goal horns and concert speakers are loud. A weekend afternoon game, when the schedule offers one, is easier than a late weeknight.
What else happens at Rogers Arena?
The arena opened in 1995 as GM Place and took its current name in 2010, the year it hosted the Winter Olympics’ hockey tournament under the temporary name Canada Hockey Place. Beyond the Canucks, it’s home to the Vancouver Warriors of the National Lacrosse League, whose winter games are fast, loud and usually easy to get into. It also hosts most of the big arena concerts that come to Vancouver, along with family shows and other sporting events.
Concert nights
Concerts change the building’s rhythm. Merchandise lines form as soon as the doors open, so buy on the way in or skip it. Floor tickets are often general admission, where arriving early decides how close you get to the stage. The bag limit still applies, and some tours add their own rules on cameras or large signs. Earplugs are worth carrying for arena shows, and with no re-entry, anything you forget stays forgotten.
Warriors lacrosse
Box lacrosse is Canada’s summer game played indoors in winter, and the Warriors’ home games are one of the city’s most underrated nights out. Five runners and a goalie per side play on the covered ice floor, with a shot clock forcing a shot every 30 seconds, so the scoring is constant and the crowd rarely sits still. Tickets are far easier to get and cheaper than for the Canucks, which makes a Warriors game a good way to experience the arena on a budget.
Where should you stay near Rogers Arena?
Anywhere in Yaletown or the eastern half of downtown puts you within a 15-minute walk, which is the best way home after a game or concert. Gastown and Chinatown are closer still, with character hotels and a lively evening scene, while hotels around Robson Street and Coal Harbour are a 20- to 25-minute walk or a short SkyTrain ride. The downtown Vancouver hotels guide compares them street by street, and the Gastown hotels guide covers the neighbourhood closest to the arena’s north side.
What’s near Rogers Arena?
The arena sits at a crossroads. BC Place stadium, home of the Whitecaps and the BC Lions, is next door; any BC Place Stadium guide starts with the fact that the two venues share a station and, on some weekends, a crowd. Chinatown and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden are a few blocks east, Gastown ten minutes north, and the False Creek seawall a short walk south, leading to Science World at the head of the inlet. The Chinatown heritage walk makes a good pre-game stroll, and staying in Yaletown puts you a short walk from the doors.
Rogers Arena guide FAQ
Where is Rogers Arena?
Rogers Arena is on Griffiths Way at the east end of downtown Vancouver, beside False Creek and next door to BC Place. Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain station is right beside it, and Yaletown-Roundhouse on the Canada Line is about a 10-minute walk. Chinatown, Gastown and Yaletown are all within walking distance.
How big a bag can you bring into Rogers Arena?
Bags, purses and backpacks must be no larger than 35 x 35 x 15 cm (14 x 14 x 6 inches), and all bags are searched at the gates, where walk-through metal detectors are in use. There’s no bag check, so larger bags have to stay at your hotel or in your car. Baby bags are allowed after screening.
Is Rogers Arena cashless?
Yes. The arena accepts debit cards, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay, but not cash. Tickets are mobile-only as well, held in your Ticketmaster account or a team app, so charge your phone before you leave. No outside food or drink is allowed, apart from limited exceptions for water.
Do children need a ticket at Rogers Arena?
Children who are 91 cm (36 inches) tall or shorter can enter without their own ticket, while taller children need a ticket of their own. The arena publishes a children and family guide, and alcohol-free seating is available. Ear protection is a good idea for small children at hockey games and concerts.
Can you park at Rogers Arena for a Canucks game?
Not as a member of the public. The arena’s underground parkade, Lot 987, isn’t open to the public during Canucks games, apart from a limited number of reserved disability stalls. Some public stalls open for Warriors games and other events. Transit is the practical choice: Stadium-Chinatown station is next door.
Can you leave Rogers Arena and come back in?
No. Rogers Arena has no in-and-out privileges, so once you leave the building your ticket won’t get you back in. The arena is also smoke-free, including cannabis, with no designated smoking area, so plan to stay inside from the time you enter until the event ends.
Related Vancouver guides
- Vancouver Sports and Live Events: every team and venue in the city
- Vancouver Canucks Game Guide: tickets, prices and game day
- Vancouver SkyTrain Guide: the easiest way to the arena and home
- Late-Night Food in Vancouver: where to eat after the final horn
- Gastown Bars and Nightlife: drinks before and after the game
Sources and verification
Checked on September 25, 2026 against the organizations listed below. This guide was compiled from their published policies rather than from ticket resellers or other travel lists, and it doesn’t claim first-hand visits. Venue policies can vary by event, so confirm on your event page. For the city’s other teams and venues, see the Vancouver sports guide.
- Rogers Arena: Frequently asked questions; Bag restrictions; Children’s tickets; Parking and directions; Fans with disabilities
- Vancouver Canucks: Official tickets
- TransLink: Pricing and fare zones
Photo credits
- Rogers Arena seating bowl (2017): photo by Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Rogers Arena banners (2017): photo by Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Rogers Arena exterior (2011): photo by Hucul002, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Concert at Rogers Arena (2011): photo by Sianmorris10, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Rogers Arena from above, 2026 (featured image): photo by Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)