Hard Rock Stadium Seats in Sun & Shade

The Miami Dolphins play their home games in the most temperate climate of any NFL team. However, unlike the city’s baseball counterpart, Hard Rock Stadium does not feature a permanent or retractable roof to keep the players and fans cool. Instead, a recently added roof canopy provides some relief. But without any air conditioning, you’ll want to know where the seats in the shade are located because it gets hot in Miami Gardens! Use this article in combination with the Hard Rock Stadium seating chart to find the seats in the shade and sun.

Where are the seats in the shade and sun at Hard Rock Stadium?

As a general rule, the seats in the shade at Hard Rock Stadium are located:

• On the home team side of the field
• In the upper deck under the roof canopy

And the seats in the sun at Hard Rock Stadium are located:

• In the lower deck on the visitor’s side of the field
• In parts of the end zones, particularly early or late in the day

Most NFL games at Hard Rock Stadium kick off in the 1:00pm hour with the occasional night game or late afternoon start. Miami Hurricanes games also usually start in the early afternoon, but can differ depending on the NCAA schedule. For specific details about sections and start times, read on.

Hard Rock Stadium Orientation to the Sun

Hard Rock Stadium is oriented in a northwest to southeast direction. By noon the sun is high in the sky near the southeast end zone. Over the course of the afternoon the sun dips down behind home team side of the stadium and eventually sets closer to the northwest end zone.

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

Click or tap here to see an interactive seating chart at Hard Rock Stadium

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Early Afternoon Dolphins and Hurricanes Games

Miami is unique in that fans will likely seek out shaded seats year-round, even in the winter months. The good news is that recent stadium upgrades include a canopy roof over the seating areas. However, this is not a full roof like you would find at other NFL stadiums. The canopy roof has a rectangular hole directly over the field of play. Because the position of the sun changes throughout the day, not every seat is in the shade!

Any seat in the 300-level (upper deck) should be safe from the sun, no matter the time of day. Because the upper deck is set back from the playing field, it has almost full protection provided by the canopy. Additionally, seats in sections 142-150 and 242-250 should stay sun-free for the entire game. You’ll want to avoid the lower deck on the visitor’s side if you want to stay out of the sun. Sections 114-122 will be the toastiest sections of the stadium. The southeast end zone should be sun-free during an early afternoon game, but the northwest end zone may have some seats in direct path of the sun.

Because the sun does not shine directly over the stadium from above, seats on the home side of Hard Rock Stadium are shaded while those on the visitor side are in the sun. Paparacy / Shutterstock.com

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Late Afternoon Dolphins and Hurricanes Games

When the Dolphins or Hurricanes kick off after 4:00pm the same general rules apply as for earlier games. Stick to the home team side or upper deck for shade. Later in the day, seats in sections 142-150 will start to move into the shade, starting with rows closest to the field and moving upward. For a late afternoon game, some seats in the southeast end zone may lose their shade as the sun makes its way across the afternoon sky.

Ready to get your Dolphins and Hurricanes tickets?

Use the individual game links on the side (or middle of the page on mobile) or click or tap here to see the upcoming games at Hard Rock Stadium. Learn about why we recommend buying NFL tickets on SeatGeek.

Enjoy the game!

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