Chase Center
The Verdict
"SF's biggest arena in Mission Bay holds 18,000 for concerts and Warriors games. Take Muni's T-Third line directly there. Driving is miserable on event nights. Arrive early if you want to explore the food options inside."
What you need to know
Chase Center opened in 2019 in Mission Bay as the new home of the Golden State Warriors. The arena holds 18,064 for basketball and can be configured for concerts, where capacity varies by staging. It replaced Oracle Arena across the bay in Oakland, bringing the team back to San Francisco for the first time since 1971.
What to Expect
For Warriors games, the lower bowl is expensive and corporate. The upper sections are where the energy lives. The arena is modern and clean, with wide concourses and more food options than you’ll have time to try. Concessions lean local: you’ll find Boba Guys, Bakesale Betty’s, and Senior Sisig alongside the usual arena fare.
For concerts, the sound quality is good for an arena this size. Floor seating gets set up differently depending on the artist. The building books major touring acts: the kind of artists who sell out arenas but not stadiums.
The plaza outside, Thrive City, hosts free events and has a few restaurants that stay open independent of arena events.
Visiting
1 Warriors Way, Mission Bay. Warriors games run from October through April (longer if they make the playoffs). Tickets start around $50 for upper level regular season games and climb steeply for marquee matchups. Concert prices vary by artist.
Food and drink inside is expensive. Expect $15+ for a beer. Eating in the neighborhood before an event saves money. Mission Bay has improved but options are still limited. Walking 10 minutes to Dogpatch opens up better restaurants.
Getting There
The T Third Muni line stops directly at the arena. From downtown, the T runs along the Embarcadero. On event nights, expect crowded trains. Arriving 30 minutes early helps. The arena has parking garages on site but they fill up and cost $40 to $60 on event nights. Rideshare has a dedicated pickup and drop off area on Terry Francois Boulevard.
Skip driving if you can. The T line is genuinely convenient here, and parking costs add up fast.
📍 Location: This activity is in SoMa. Explore the neighborhood →
