Smoothie King Center
New Orleans, LA · Pro Basketball
Founding membership for Pelicans fans. Free, verified, permanent.
- Member cap
- 16,867
- Cost to join
- Free
- Verification
- Email + Phone
- Status
- Open
— verified members.
Venue encyclopedia
Independent, no paid placements
What attending a pro basketball game at the New Orleans, LA venue is actually like: seating, arrival, weather, food, and the seats we'd point a friend toward (or away from).
- Opened
- 1999
- Capacity
- 16,867
- Roof
- Indoor / climate-controlled
- Orientation
- Indoor, climate-controlled arena. A three-tier seating bowl wraps the court, lower bowl to upper bowl, with a center-hung scoreboard over the floor. It sits in the shadow of the Superdome next door, sharing the downtown stadium district and its surrounding lots and garages.
Neighborhood
In the downtown Central Business District of New Orleans, directly beside the Superdome and a walkable distance from the French Quarter. Streetcar lines run nearby and the CBD hotels, bars, and restaurants sit within a few minutes' walk, with the Quarter's food and music a longer but very doable stroll. This is a downtown arena in the heart of the city, not a suburban campus.
What it feels like
A downtown arena that plugs straight into New Orleans nightlife: you can pair a game with dinner in the CBD and music in the French Quarter without needing a car. The bowl is an intimate, modern three-tier layout that gets loud on big nights, and the crowd brings the city's distinct energy. Being next to the Superdome means game day sits inside a broader downtown sports-and-entertainment district. The walkability to the Quarter is the defining feature; few arenas put a full night out this close to the gate.
Seating tiers
Lower bowl (100s)
Rows 1-20Closest to the court, wrapping baseline to baseline. Premium pricing at the sideline center-court sections.
Club / premium (200s)
Mid-level seating with club access, wider seats, and shorter concession lines.
Upper bowl (300s)
Rows 1-20The steep upper tier with clean sightlines to the whole floor. The best value in the building.
Sections we'd pick
- Lower bowl along a sideline near center court for the closest straight-on look at the action
- Upper bowl center-court sideline for the best price-to-sightline value in the arena
- Club level sections for wider seats, indoor lounge access, and shorter lines
Sections we'd skip
- Lower-bowl seats deep in the corners behind a basket, where the angle across the floor flattens
- The last rows of the upper bowl behind a basket if you want to feel close to the action
Arrival
- Primary route
- I-10 reaches downtown New Orleans, feeding the surface streets and the stadium-district lots and garages around the arena and the Superdome.
- Rail / transit
- New Orleans streetcar lines run through downtown near the arena, and the CBD's walkability means many fans arrive on foot from downtown hotels or the French Quarter. The streetcar connects the arena to the wider downtown scene.
- Rideshare
- Drop-off zones on the streets around the arena. Walking a few blocks into the CBD or toward the Quarter for a pickup after the game avoids the immediate stadium-district crush.
- Parking
- 10,000 spots across 15 lots , median $25 . Prepay recommended.
- Walk to gates
- ~8 minutes (median)
- Notes
- Shared stadium-district garages and surface lots serve both the arena and the Superdome; pre-pay for the closest on marquee dates, especially when both venues have events. Many fans park downtown or skip the car entirely given the walkability.
Weather and timing
Roof
Indoor
Indoor and fully climate-controlled, a welcome relief from New Orleans' heat and humidity. Comfortable year-round in the bowl; dress for the muggy walk to and from the gates, not for the seating area.
Food inside
New Orleans flavor is the whole point: Cajun and Creole stands with jambalaya, gumbo, po'boys, and crawfish-forward options in season, plus local beer. The po'boy and jambalaya stands are the local-color picks worth the line over standard arena fare.
Food and pre-game outside
The Central Business District puts bars and restaurants within a few minutes' walk, and the French Quarter's food and music are a longer but easy stroll for a fuller night. Few arenas sit this close to a dining-and-nightlife district this deep.
Accessibility
ADA seating with companion seats on every level and accessible routes from all entrances. Accessible parking in the stadium-district garages near the elevators; the downtown streetcar and walkways are accessible. Sensory resources are available through guest services.
Worth knowing before you go
- Pair the game with the French Quarter; it is a walkable distance and turns game night into a full New Orleans evening.
- Check whether the Superdome next door has an event the same day, which tightens parking across the shared district.
- Bag policy is limited; check the current policy on the team site before you go.
- Cashless throughout the venue.
What Pelicans fans get
- A permanent member number that reflects when you joined. The lower the number, the higher your standing — forever.
- Priority access to seat opportunities at Smoothie King Center. Seniority determines order. No luck involved.
- First look at every new perk, partner offer, and member event — founding members always hear before anyone else.
- Founding Member status. This tier closes when the roster fills at 16,867. It doesn't reopen.
Pelicans fans: your spot is waiting.
Free founding membership. Verified by email and phone. Your member number is permanent — the earlier you join, the higher your standing. One Pro Basketball membership per fan.
Claim my founding spot →Free forever · Verified members only · One per sport