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There is no bigger room in North Texas than AT&T Stadium: the retractable-roof, 80,000-seat home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth. Opened in 2009 and nicknamed “Jerry World” after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, it has hosted a Super Bowl, a Final Four, WrestleMania and matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and today its calendar runs from NFL Sundays to stadium tours by the biggest names in music.
This guide is in two halves. First, the venue itself: what makes the building special, how seating works, how to get there, and what to know before you go. Then, the trip around the event: where to stay, what else to do in Arlington and Dallas-Fort Worth, and where to find every Cowboys game, concert and big event currently on sale at AT&T Stadium.
▼ Table of Contents
Part 1: Inside AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium opened on May 27, 2009, replacing Texas Stadium in Irving as the Cowboys’ home at a cost of roughly $1.15 billion, nearly double the original estimate. Designed by HKS, it was called Cowboys Stadium until AT&T took the naming rights in 2013. The brief from the Jones family was simple: build something as big and bold as the Cowboys brand. The result is one of the most expensive sports venues ever built, and one of the few that is a tourist attraction in its own right.
The defining feature is the roof. Two enormous steel arches, each spanning roughly 1,225 feet, carry the structure over the whole building, which means there are no interior columns to block a sightline. The roof panels retract and the huge glass doors at each end zone open, so on a mild day the stadium plays like an outdoor venue, and in Texas heat it closes up and becomes a climate-controlled one. Hanging over the field is the center-hung video board, 160 feet wide and 72 feet tall and suspended about 90 feet above the turf, which was the largest high-definition screen in the world when it was installed.
The event track record is what sets it apart. Beyond every Cowboys home game, AT&T Stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV in 2011, the 2014 NCAA Final Four, the 2018 NFL Draft, the 2021 Rose Bowl, WrestleMania 38 in 2022 and matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is also the home of the Big 12 Football Championship and the Cotton Bowl Classic, and it hosts stadium-scale concerts from artists who need a room with a roof.
Inside, the concourses double as a gallery: the Cowboys’ contemporary art collection is displayed throughout the building, and the stadium runs guided art tours alongside its regular stadium tours. It is worth arriving early enough to walk the concourse before the event starts.
AT&T Stadium Seating Explained
The single most important thing to know about seating here is that the layout changes with the event. A Cowboys game uses the field as a football pitch with seating on all four sides. A concert puts a stage at one end or, as with some current stadium tours, in the middle of the floor, and turns the field into standing or reserved floor sections. Always check the specific seat map for your event before you buy.
Football layout shown. Concert layouts and section availability change by event, so always check your event’s seat map.
Floor (concerts only)
Standing general admission or reserved floor seating right in front of the stage. You are closest to the performer but lowest to the ground, so a big crowd can limit your view of the screens.
100 Level
The lower bowl wraps the field and is the closest seated ring for football and for most concert layouts. Sideline sections give the best view of the game; end-zone sections are cheaper and closer to the action at one end.
200 & 300 Levels
The middle tiers, and the sweet spot for most people. You are high enough to see plays develop and the whole stage, and low enough to feel the crowd. Sideline seats here are often the best balance of view and price.
400 Level & Standing Room
The upper deck and the standing-room areas are the budget way in. Because the arches remove interior columns, the view is unobstructed, but you are a long way from the field and rely on the video board for detail.
Getting to AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium is in Arlington’s Entertainment District, about 10 miles south of DFW Airport and roughly midway between downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth. Arlington has no rail service to the stadium, so nearly everyone arrives by car or rideshare. Plan for heavy traffic on Cowboys Sundays and concert nights.
Driving & parking
There are about 12,000 spaces in 15 numbered lots at the stadium, plus nearly 12,000 more in the lettered lots around Globe Life Field that can be used on event days. Lots generally open five hours before Cowboys games. Buy a parking pass in advance through the stadium’s official parking page, and expect a security inspection before you enter the lot.
Which way to drive in
From Dallas, take I-30 West and exit at Ballpark Way. From Fort Worth, take I-30 East and exit at Collins Street. From DFW Airport and Grapevine, take Highway 360 South and exit at Division Street. All three routes lead to Randol Mill Road and the Blue Lots at Cedarland Plaza.
Rideshare & taxi
The stadium’s rideshare location this season is Lot 15, and taxis stage at the far west end of Miller LiteHouse off North Collins Street. There are also passenger drop-off zones in Lot 1 off Randol Mill Road and Lot 6 off Cowboys Way. After the event these can be congested or closed to pick-ups, so build in extra time or walk away from the stadium before you call a car.
Flying in
Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) and Dallas Love Field are each roughly a 20-30 minute drive from the stadium, depending on traffic. DFW is the more convenient of the two for most routes.
Know Before You Go
- Check the bag policy. Only a clear tote up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″, a one-gallon clear resealable bag or a small clutch up to 4.5″ x 6.5″ is allowed. Backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, camera bags, coolers, seat cushions and luggage are not.
- Arrive early. Security and parking lines build fast on event days, and the concourse art and the stadium itself are part of the experience.
- Will Call. Ticket windows are at Entry A on the northeast side and Entry F on the southwest side, typically opening three hours before the event. Bring photo ID and the card used to buy the tickets.
- Tailgating. It is allowed for Cowboys and college football games only, in designated grass spaces on the edges of most lots, on a first-come basis. Open-flame fires and deep fryers are not permitted, though charcoal and gas cooking are.
- Book tickets before flights. The event date drives everything else, so lock in your game or show first, then build travel around it.
- Kickoff times can change. NFL start times are sometimes moved, so hold off on non-refundable bookings until your game’s time is confirmed.
Part 2: Building a Trip Around the Event
Whether you are here for a Cowboys game, a stadium concert or a championship, Arlington and the wider Dallas-Fort Worth area reward an extra day or two built around the event. Here is how to sort the rest of the trip.
Where to Stay Near AT&T Stadium
The Arlington Entertainment District is the simplest base: the stadium, Globe Life Field and Texas Live! are all within walking distance of each other, which means you can walk to the game and skip the parking and rideshare queues altogether. Loews Arlington Hotel sits inside Texas Live! and is the closest full-service option to the stadium. A little further out in central Arlington, options such as the Drury Plaza Hotel Dallas Arlington trade a short drive for lower prices.
If you want more nightlife and dining than Arlington offers, downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas are both roughly 20-30 minutes by car, and the Omni Dallas Hotel is a popular downtown base. Near DFW Airport and Grapevine, hotels along Highway 360 are convenient if you are flying in and out on the same weekend.
Use the map below to compare rates around the stadium for your dates:
Things to Do in Arlington & Dallas-Fort Worth
The Entertainment District is one of the most concentrated tourist strips in Texas. Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, is right next door to the stadium, and Texas Live! packs restaurants, bars and outdoor screens into the space between them. Six Flags Over Texas, the original Six Flags park, and Hurricane Harbor Arlington are a short drive away, and the new National Medal of Honor Museum is in the same area.
If your trip is built around the stadium itself, take a tour on a non-event day. Guided tours cover the concourses, the club spaces and, depending on the event calendar, the field and locker rooms. Field access is sometimes restricted around big events, so check the stadium’s field and locker room availability before you book.
Beyond Arlington, downtown Dallas is about 20 minutes east, with Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum, Klyde Warren Park and the Dallas Arts District. Fort Worth is about the same distance west, with the Stockyards and Sundance Square.
Book a stadium tour with transportation from Dallas, a city sightseeing day that ends at the stadium, or Six Flags admission. Check live availability below.
Also available on Hello Tickets: the Dallas Cowboys Stadium Tour with round-trip transport from downtown Dallas, a 90-minute guided tour that includes turf access when the event calendar allows.
Shows & Sports at AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium’s calendar mixes Dallas Cowboys home games, stadium concerts, college football championships and one-off events. See everything currently on sale, with ticket links for each.
Frequently Asked Questions
By Ben Farr