SUPER BOWL LVII
No tailgating at the 2023 Super Bowl: Where can fans party before and after the game in Phoenix?
Tailgating appears to be off the table but three other major events are taking place for Super Bowl fans in and around Phoenix.
It promises to be quite a weekend in and around Phoenix, Arizona. On the very weekend that golf’s wildest event, the 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open, takes place, as it does at this time every year, the 2023 Super Bowl will be coming to town, with the Philadelphia Eagles facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium, in Glendale (kick-off on Sunday 12 February at 18.30 ET / 15.30 PT). The city and its surroundings won’t be short of a party or two but to the presumed disappointment of plenty of Eagles fans, they’re going to have some trouble setting up their traditional tailgate parties.
Tailgating not permitted at State Farm Stadium
It has been announced that impromptu tailgating won’t be permitted at NFL-controlled parking locations in the vicinity of State Farm Stadium, with the only fans allowed to leave their vehicles there those who have tickets for the Super Bowl. They’ll have to leave the area by 4:00 a.m. local time
Of course, if you’re heading to the game, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to have a good time, it just means you’ll have to have it elsewhere. And there are three main events which are being put on for fans across the city and beyond.
What Super Bowl-related events are taking place in or near Phoenix?
Flavourtown Tailgate
A “part food festival, part music festival” hosted by Guy Fieri, who fronts food reality TV show Diners, Drive-Ins and Ives. A maximum of 10,000 people will be able to enjoy “20+ restaurant pop-ups and interactive dining experiences”. The event, which will be held next to the stadium and will end when the game kicks off, is free to enter although it’s possible to buy VIP tables for $400. DJ Dipolo and country duo LOCASH are the musical attractions.
ESPN-run tailgate party in Scottsdale
In Scottsdale, about an hour’s drive away from Phoenix, ESPN are hosting a five-day tailgate in the city’s Old Town. “Play life-sized games while enjoying live music, entertainers, a western bar, giveaways and food-for-purchase offerings from Cien Agaves, Yellow Spruce Roasters, Belle’s Nashville Kitchen, Val’s Frybread, Rusty Spur and Piccolo Virtu,” reads the event description on experiencescottsdale.com. The event is on from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday, and from 8:00 a.m. to noon on the day of the game.
The Super Bowl Experience in downtown Phoenix
In downtown Phoenix itself, from Thursday 9 February to Sunday 12 February, Hance Park is home to the Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe’s, “a multi-day outdoor festival (which) will include an immersive fan experience with live music, entertainment, local cuisine and multicultural celebrations.” Jimmy Eat World (Thursday 9) and Lee Brice (Friday 10) will provide musical the entertainment.
The Super Bowl Experience at Hance Park culminates in the Official Super Bowl Watch Party, “featuring the largest LED screens in Arizona.”