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Arts & Entertainment

Ready for It? 5 Things You Need to Know Before Taylor Swift Hits AT&T Stadium

Rangers fans and Swifties will converge on Arlington this weekend. There will be no blank parking spaces.
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Taylor Swift performs during the launch of her Reputation Tour at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. May 8, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic

You have your hard-won Taylor Swift tickets, and you are unable to calm down. If you’ve gone to an event at AT&T Stadium, you may know all too well what a popular concert will mean for your parking and arrival experience. 

But you still may not be prepared for what could be the complete exercise in mayhem that will come when Swifties and Rangers fans converge in one area Saturday and Sunday for the second and third games of the season. (Friday, the first night, will be busy, but not as busy.)

Here are five things you need to know before heading to Arlington this weekend:

Pack your patience

On Saturday, the parking lots for Globe Life Field will open at 1 p.m. for a 3:05 p.m. first pitch for the Rangers vs. Phillies. AT&T Stadium parking lots will open at 2 p.m. On Sunday, the parking lot will open at AT&T Stadium for the Swift concert at 2 p.m., while the parking lots at Globe Life Field will open at 3:30 p.m.

Sunday may be the stickiest of the two days, since the concert starts at 6:30 p.m. and the Rangers first pitch is just after 6, meaning that everyone will be coming and going to that pocket of Arlington at the same time. 

Getting there is half the battle

If you haven’t already paid for parking, get a ride, because parking at AT&T Stadium for any of the three nights Swift will perform will put you back at least $120 per pass. You can also purchase reserved parking at Globe Life Field, if you don’t mind a short walk. Concertgoers can also try for a non-reserved lot that day, but with multiple events going on at once, a spot isn’t guaranteed.

And don’t be tempted to park on a side street, either. Arlington has parking restrictions during special events, and you could come back out to find that your car has been towed. (You can find the map to those no parking zones here.)

Have a non Swiftie friend or family member? Offer to pay for a movie ticket and concessions in exchange for dropping you off and picking you up. (There is a theater four minutes from the stadium). This will be a madhouse, so spring for the jumbo popcorn and the very biggest soda your local movie house offers. Drop off zones can be found at the north side of Randol Mill Road in Lot one, and the south side off Cowboys Way in Lot 6. 

Pickup has one lonely spot: the same place you can find the taxis—the far west end of the Miller LiteHouse off of North Collins Street and Cowboys Way. You can also use other rideshare options like Lyft and Uber, but expect a long wait and surge pricing.

Concert-goers with mobility needs can hail a shuttle from the more distant parking spaces (if they’ve paid for a pass). The shuttles, which pick up and drop off at entries A, D, J, and G, are limited to the person with mobility needs and a companion.

Snag a shuttle

At least two restaurants near the stadium offer parking and shuttle services. Grease Monkey charges $8 per person round trip, and begins running shuttles two hours before events. J. Gilligans offers a $10 roundtrip for adults. (It’s $5 for children ages 3 to 12). 

Don’t bring your Neverfull

AT&T Stadium only allows clear tote bags and small clutch purses. (See the full list of verboten items here.) Pro-tip: If you bring neither and use a cell phone case with a wallet attached, you’ll get through the line faster. You also won’t need cash—all ticketing is mobile, and the stadium is a cashless venue, which means you need mobile pay or a credit card. 

Download the app, and make sure your phone is fully charged

While you might not be going to a Cowboy’s game, the Dallas Cowboys app also offers directions and interactive maps for finding concessions and amenities at the stadium.

Author

Bethany Erickson

Bethany Erickson

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Bethany Erickson is the senior digital editor for D Magazine. She's written about real estate, education policy, the stock market, and crime throughout her career, and sometimes all at the same time. She hates lima beans and 5 a.m. and takes SAT practice tests for fun.

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