Mega pop star Taylor Swift will perform at Petco Park on Saturday and those heading to the sold out concert should have a game plan for parking and getting to the big show in busy downtown San Diego.
Petco Park officials encourage concert guests to arrive downtown early. Parking lots near the ballpark will open at 12 p.m. Gates to the stadium will open at 5 p.m., and opening acts – Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes – are set to perform at 7 p.m.
Besides ballpark-adjacent lots, more than 2,500 spaces will be available at the following parking lots and garages: 707 Broadway; Horton Plaza; San Diego Convention Center (Harbor Drive); and Hilton Bayfront (Harbor Drive). These lots can be accessed via the Front Street exit from southbound Interstate 5 or the Cesar Chavez Parkway exit from northbound I-5.
More downtown parking information can be seen here.
To avoid traffic and parking delays, concert guests should also consider using public transportation, including the trolley.
San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), says it will run added special event trolley service on Saturday specifically for the Taylor Swift concert, scheduling extra trolleys to accommodate the large crowds.
Though park and ride lots with free parking are located along trolley lines, MTS says parking will be limited – especially because there’s also a San Diego Chargers vs. Seattle Seahawks game at Qualcomm Stadium at 5 p.m., which will pack the park and ride lots and trolleys with even more passengers.
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For this reason, MTS suggests concert guests catch their ride on public transit early. All three MTS trolley lines provide direct service downtown, stopping near Petco Park.
The Green Line will increase trolleys to a 7.5-minute service schedule from Qualcomm Stadium to downtown San Diego from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Green Line trolleys will depart from the 12th & Imperial Transit Center and Gaslamp Quarter Station every 15 minutes during and after the concert, headed to Santee, with the last one leaving at 12:51 a.m. The Green Line will offer additional late-night service from the Gaslamp Quarter Station to San Diego State University to accommodate students.
The concert is expected to end around 11:15 p.m. MTS says the last trains on the Blue and Orange Lines will depart one hour after the concert ends – both from the 12th & Imperial Transit Center (Blue Line at 12:15 a.m.; Orange Line at 12:18 a.m.).
The Blue and Orange Line trolleys will depart all stations every 15 minutes before and after the concert as well, MTS says.
Those heading to the concert can also avoid trolley ticket lines and speed up the boarding process by buying and storing trolley passes on their smartphone using MTS’s free mobile ticketing app, mTicket.
Additionally, North County Transit District (NCTD) Coaster trains with service to downtown will depart Oceanside at 1:50 p.m., 3:34 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 6:35 p.m. ahead of the concert. The Coaster will also offer a special return northbound train leaving from the Santa Fe Depot after the concert ends.
Petco Park officials say the venue’s new security screening process will be in effect during the Taylor Swift concert. All guests will be screened through metal detectors before entry and will be asked to divest themselves of cell phones, cameras and other metal objects before passing through the screening areas.
Petco Park officials say backpacks no larger than 16” x 16” x 8” will be permitted inside the stadium. All bag and purses will be inspected upon entry.
Though phones and small, non-professional cameras are allowed inside the venue, tripods are selfie sticks are banned. All banners, signs and flags brought in by fans must be smaller than 18” x 24”, according to Petco Park rules.
Petco Park officials say concert attendees with field seats should enter the ballpark through the Western Metal Breezeway on Tony Gwynn Drive or the Park Boulevard gate. Guests with tickets in all other seating areas should enter through the Gaslamp, East Village and Home Plate gates.
For more details on the Taylor Swift concert at Petco Park, click here.
