Golden 1 Center opened on September 30, 2016, in the heart of downtown Sacramento, California, replacing the aging ARCO Arena as the home of the Sacramento Kings. Built on the site of the former Downtown Plaza shopping center, the $558.2 million arena anchors the larger Downtown Commons mixed-use development and was designed by AECOM with Mark Dziewulski Architect, with Turner Construction managing the build after an October 2014 groundbreaking.
The arena quickly earned a reputation as one of the NBA’s most innovative venues, achieving LEED Platinum certification and drawing attention for its blend of technology, sustainability, and open-air design. Beyond Kings basketball, it hosts concerts, conventions, wrestling, MMA, and college sports. Whether you’re headed to a game or a show, here’s everything you need to know: tickets, seating, box office hours, parking, and the bag policy.
- Sacramento Kings played here 2016–present. See every Kings arena →
Quick Answer
Golden 1 Center is the Sacramento Kings’ downtown arena, seating 17,611 for basketball and up to roughly 19,000 for end-stage concerts. Tickets are sold through the official Golden 1 Center site, Kings.com, and Ticketmaster; parking runs through the city’s SacPark system in garages within a few blocks of the arena; the box office is open Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm (and from noon on event days); and bags are limited to small clutches and wallets no larger than 8″x6″x1″, with no clear-bag exception.
The Arena Experience
Golden 1 Center was built as an indoor-outdoor venue, with massive glass hangar doors on its exterior that can open to let Sacramento’s Delta breeze flow through the concourse, weather permitting. The arena also features an 84-foot videoboard, one of the largest scoreboard displays in the NBA at the time it debuted, along with 34 luxury suites and 48 loft-style suites overlooking the court.
Concessions lean into the region’s identity, with a farm-to-fork food program that sources much of its menu from Northern California growers and producers, tying the venue to the city’s agricultural heritage.
Seating Chart & Capacity
For Kings basketball, Golden 1 Center seats 17,611 fans. The bowl is organized into a Plaza Level (the lower, closest-to-the-court seating that wraps the floor), a Bridge Level with Club seating and the loft and suite tiers overlooking the action, and an upper Event Level for the widest, most affordable sightlines. The steep rake of the upper bowl keeps even the highest rows closer to the floor than in many older NBA arenas.
Suites and lofts sit between the lower and upper bowl, with 34 traditional luxury suites and 48 loft-style suites available for groups and corporate clients. For concerts, the venue typically runs an end-stage configuration — the stage goes at one end of the floor, additional floor seating is added in front of it, and capacity expands to roughly 19,000 depending on the show’s staging. For the exact section-by-section map for a specific game or concert, use the official Golden 1 Center seating maps page, which breaks down the Plaza, Bridge, Loft, Suite, and Event levels individually.
Tickets & Ticket Prices
Sacramento Kings single-game tickets, along with concerts and other Golden 1 Center events, are sold through Kings.com, the venue’s official site, and Ticketmaster (the arena’s exclusive ticketing partner). Prices vary widely by opponent, night of the week, and how far in advance you buy, with lower-bowl and suite seating commanding the highest premiums and upper-level Event Level seats offering the most affordable entry point.
For concerts and family shows, pricing tiers typically follow standard arena-seating logic: floor and lower-bowl seats cost the most, with upper-deck seating priced lower. Because prices fluctuate by event and demand, check the official Golden 1 Center website or Kings.com for the current on-sale schedule and real-time pricing before you buy.
Box Office & Hours
The Golden 1 Center box office is located at 500 David J Stern Walk in Sacramento, near the 7th and K Street Plaza entrance, and can be reached at (916) 701-5401. Regular window hours run Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 5pm; the office is closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday except on event days, when it opens at noon or one hour before doors, whichever comes first.
The box office and all in-arena purchases are cashless, accepting Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. Will call tickets can only be picked up on the event day, starting two hours before the event, and require the original payment card plus a valid photo ID. Because hours can shift around holidays and event schedules, confirm current hours on the official box office page before making a trip downtown.
Parking & Getting There
Golden 1 Center sits in the middle of downtown Sacramento, and parking is managed through SacPark, the city’s official parking system, rather than a single arena-owned lot. Garages surround the venue on multiple sides, and pre-purchasing a pass online is generally cheaper and faster than paying at the gate. Garages open two hours before tipoff or showtime, passes stay valid from two hours before the event through two hours after it ends, and spaces are first-come, first-served rather than assigned.
If you’d rather skip parking altogether, SacRT light rail has multiple stations within a block of the arena (note that SacRT periodically runs weekend construction along the Gold Line, so check service alerts before you ride), and Roseville Transit’s Game Day Express runs a non-stop bus to the arena on Kings home game nights. A complimentary bike valet, run by the Sacramento Area Bike Association, operates at Ali Youssefi Square (7th & K Street) starting two hours before major events. Main pedestrian access points are at 5th & J, 7th & K, and 5th & L Streets. For current garage locations and real-time rates, use the official directions and parking page or the SacPark reservation site.
Bag Policy & Security
Golden 1 Center enforces a strict bag policy: bags may not exceed 8″ x 6″ x 1″, which effectively limits guests to small clutches and wallets. There is no clear-bag exception for larger bags at Golden 1 Center. Backpacks, duffel bags, large purses, laptop bags, and camera bags are not permitted inside, and there is no bag check service, so oversized bags must be returned to your car.
All bags that meet the size limit still go through screening at entry, and confiscated items are not returned, so it’s worth leaving anything questionable at home or in the car. Medical bags require additional X-ray screening and tagging, and baby bags with formula or bottles are allowed as long as they’re under 16″ x 16″ x 8″. Rules can be updated for specific concerts or high-security events, so double-check the official prohibited items page before you go.
Prohibited Items
Beyond oversized bags, Golden 1 Center’s prohibited items list includes weapons of any kind, vape pens and e-cigarettes, illegal substances, lighters and aerosol cans, laptops without credentials, drones, fireworks, laser pointers, noisemakers, balloons, projectiles, outside food and beverages, selfie sticks, tripods, and cameras with detachable lenses or professional recording equipment. Personal cell phones and point-and-shoot cameras are generally fine.
Policies can vary slightly by event promoter, so for touring concerts or wrestling and MMA cards, it’s worth checking the specific event listing on Ticketmaster or the official prohibited items page linked above.
Planning Your Visit
If you’re building a game-day or show-day plan: buy tickets early through an official source (Kings.com, Golden1Center.com, or Ticketmaster) rather than a resale marketplace unless you’re comparing prices, since official pricing reflects real-time demand and avoids resale markups. Reserve parking through SacPark ahead of time if you’re driving, or plan your light rail or Game Day Express trip if you’d rather skip the garages.
Pack light — because the bag policy is strict and there’s no bag check, leave backpacks and large bags at home or in the car. Arrive early enough to clear security screening, especially for sold-out games or high-demand concerts. For anything that can change event-to-event — exact ticket prices, box office hours around holidays, or added security rules for a specific show — the official Golden 1 Center website is the most current source.
Bleachers for three hours, but with back support. Folds flat and clips to the bench.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
Golden 1 Center visitor guide FAQs
How many seats does Golden 1 Center have?
Golden 1 Center seats 17,611 for Sacramento Kings basketball games. For concerts with an end-stage setup, capacity can expand to roughly 19,000 depending on the floor configuration.
Where can I buy Golden 1 Center tickets?
Tickets are sold through Kings.com, the official Golden1Center.com site, and Ticketmaster, which is the arena’s exclusive ticketing partner. Buying through these official channels avoids resale markups and guarantees valid tickets.
What are the Golden 1 Center box office hours?
The box office, located at 500 David J Stern Walk near the 7th and K Street Plaza entrance, is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 5pm. On event days it opens at noon or one hour before doors, whichever comes first.
What is the Golden 1 Center bag policy?
Bags must be no larger than 8″ x 6″ x 1″ — essentially a small clutch or wallet. There is no clear-bag exception, backpacks and large bags are not allowed, and there’s no bag check, so oversized bags need to stay in your car.
Where should I park for Golden 1 Center?
Parking runs through SacPark, the City of Sacramento’s parking system, with garages surrounding the arena. Garages open two hours before the event, spaces are first-come, first-served, and pre-purchasing a pass online is usually cheaper and faster than paying at the gate.
Is there public transit to Golden 1 Center?
Yes. SacRT light rail has multiple stations within about a block of the arena, and Roseville Transit runs a Game Day Express bus directly to the venue on Kings home game nights. A free bike valet also operates near the arena before major events.
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