Shaded Seats at the Indian Wells Open (Stadium 3)

Stadium 3 is the smallest show court at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It’s also the most accessible to those with grounds passes as only the first few rows closest to the court are reserved, while the rest are general admission. The BNP Paribas Open takes place each spring in the California desert. Tennis fans can use this guide to find the best shaded seats at Indian Wells Stadium 3.

Where are the seats in the shade and sun at Indian Wells Stadium 3?

Generally, the seats in the shade at Stadium 3 are located:

• West Sideline: Shaded in the late afternoon

And the seats in the sun are located:

• East Sideline: Sun soaked until sunset
• Baselines: Sunny for most of the day

Matches at the Indian Wells Open begin daily at 11:00 AM, and the sunset time varies significantly over the course of the tournament. This variation is due to the tournament’s scheduling during the switch to daylight saving time on the second Sunday in March. On the first day of qualifying matches, sunset occurs around 5:45 PM, but by the day of the finals, it isn’t until nearly 7:00 PM. This shift means that seats become shaded earlier in the day before the start of daylight saving time and later in the day after the time change.

Indian Wells Orientation to the Sun

All tennis courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden are oriented in a north-to-south direction. Before the start of daylight saving time, the sun reaches its highest point in the sky around noon. After daylight saving time begins, this peak shifts to around 1:00 PM. As the afternoon progresses, the sun dips down along the west side of the stadium and eventually sets near the northwest corner.

The graphic below illustrates the approximate location of the sun throughout the day at Stadium 3 on March 15th, after daylight saving time has started.

See an interactive seating chart for the next event at Indian Wells Stadium 3

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Indian Wells Stadium 3

Stadium 3 is a classic “grandstand” style tennis stadium, featuring rectangular stands on all four sides of the court but no roof or canopy over the stands. The vast majority of seats at Stadium 3 are general admission available on a first-come, first-served basis. A small number of reserved courtside seats are typically available for pre-purchase as well. That said, it is still the best stadium at Indian Wells for fans with ground passes to get up-close to top-ranked players on the court.

Early in the afternoon, the sun shines from the south, and there are virtually no shaded seats in the stadium. Those seated in the sound stands will at least have the sun at their back but it will still shine brightly from above.

By mid-to-late afternoon, depending whether the match is before or after daylight savings has started, the sun will dip low enough in the sky that seats on the west sideline will become shaded. Shade will move from back to font, meaning seats farthest from the court will become shaded before those that are courtside. Once the west sideline is in the shade, seats behind both baselines will become shaded next. Fans on the east sideline will have to battle the sun for the longest and won’t get much relief until sunset.

Shade is sparse at Stadium 3 for most of the day. By late afternoon seats on the west (right) side of the stadium will become shaded.
Zuma Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

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