Red Bull Arena Seats in Sun & Shade

Red Bull Arena is a soccer-specific stadium located in New Jersey. It is the home of two New York City area soccer clubs: the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer and NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League. Like other stadiums in the New York City area, Red Bull Arena is an outdoor venue and not protected from the elements. If you’re attending a soccer game, it is important to know where the shaded seats are located to ensure the best possible gameday experience.

Where are the seats in the shade and sun at Red Bull Arena?

As a general rule, the seats in the shade at Red Bull Arena are located:

• Along the west touchline of the field
• In one of the upper-level sections directly under the roof

And the seats in the sun at Red Bull Arena are located:

• Along the east touchline of the field
• In lower-level sections behind the north goal line

Games at Red Bull Arena typically kick off in the late afternoon or evening with an occasional early afternoon event sprinkled in. The New York City area has all four seasons, so early and later in the soccer season you might prefer a seat in the sun whereas in the summer you’ll want to seek out that shade.

Red Bull Arena Orientation to the Sun

Red Bull Arena is oriented in a slightly off-center north to south direction. By noon the sun is high in the sky near the south goal line. Over the course of the afternoon the sun dips down behind the overhang and structure on the west side of the stadium and eventually sets closer to the north goal line. The unique roof at Red Bull Arena makes it a bit tricky to know which sections will be in the shade at different times of day, so continue reading for more details.

The graphic below shows the approximate location of the sun throughout the day on July 1st.

Click or tap here to see an interactive seating chart at Red Bull Arena.

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Afternoon Red Bull Arena Games

Red Bull Arena features a curved partially translucent roof that extends far enough out toward the pitch that every seat is technically under cover. While this may be convenient during light rain it doesn’t necessarily protect every seat from the sun at every hour of the day.

For a game that starts early in the afternoon the best spot to avoid the sun is behind the south goal line or in the southwest corner. Sections 101-106 and 201-206 are solid choices for avoiding the sun’s rays. Make sure to be aware that sections 101, 102 and 133 are the home supporter’s section so only buy a ticket there if that’s where you want to be.

For a later afternoon game, sections along the west touch line will be shaded. Sections 107-113 are good choices if you want to avoid the sun at this time of day. Because of how Red Bull Arena is designed the upper sections on this side of the pitch are box seats, which may or may not be what you’re looking for. If you want to avoid the sun behind the goal line, try to stay toward the west, like in sections 114-118 and 214-218. The seats most likely to be in the sun in the late afternoon will be in the northeast corner and along the eastern touch line.

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Evening Red Bull Arena Games

There are plenty of choices for seats in the shade for an evening game, but you need to know where to look! By evening sections along the west touch line and behind both goal lines will be shaded. The sections in the sun will be along the east touchline. Depending on the start time and month of the year, seats in sections 124-128 and 224-228 may be in the sun for at least part of the game until the sun fully goes down.

Ready to get your New York soccer tickets?

Use the individual game links on the side (or middle of the page on mobile) or click or tap here to see an upcoming list of games at Red Bull Arena. Learn about why we recommend buying tickets on Seatgeek.

Enjoy the game!

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