How to Read a Seating Chart

Reading a chart in under a minute

To read a seating chart, first find the stage, court or field, then read the ticket's location in order: level, section, row and seat. The level tells you how high you are, the section tells you where around the venue you sit, the row tells you how far back you are within that section, and the seat number tells you where in the row you are, including whether you are on the aisle.

Most charts follow a few common conventions, but none of them are universal. The quickest way to avoid a bad surprise is to read the chart for your event at your venue, and to treat any assumption carried over from another building as something to confirm.

Levels and section numbers

In many stadiums and arenas, the first digit of a section number indicates the level: 100s for the lower bowl (the seating ring closest to the field or court), 200s for a middle or club level, and 300s or 400s for upper levels. Within a level, numbers usually run in sequence around the bowl, so neighboring numbers are neighboring sections.

Why you should not trust the pattern blindly

• Level numbers do not always mean height. At Lambeau Field, the 300-level sections sit directly behind the 100 level rather than in an upper deck.
• Some numbers mark unusual seats. At Madison Square Garden, the 300-numbered sections are bridge seats suspended high above the floor, while the 400-numbered sections are small groups of seats high on the sides.
• Venues renumber. Wrigley Field changed its numbering in 2019: upper box seats moved from the 400s to the 300s, upper reserved from the 500s to the 400s, and the bleachers became the 500s, with "L" and "R" suffixes on some upper sections. The Cubs explain the change on their renumbering page. An old ticket stub or forum post may describe a section that no longer exists under that number.
• Numbering can encode sides. Lambeau Field puts even-numbered sections on the Packers' west sideline and odd-numbered sections on the visitors' east side.

Theaters use names instead of numbers: the orchestra (the main floor), the mezzanine (the first raised tier) and sometimes a balcony. Large houses split these further. Radio City Music Hall, for example, has an orchestra and three mezzanines.

Rows: numbers, letters and where row 1 really is

Rows usually start at the front of a section and count back, either by number (1, 2, 3) or by letter (A, B, C). Some venues use double letters (AA, BB) for rows added in front of row A, and some mix the two styles. At Fenway Park, for example, the upper Pavilion Box seats are covered from row C up.

Row depth varies by section

Row 10 means very different things in different places. Field-level boxes at Fenway run about a dozen rows, while the bleachers run about 50. Before you judge a row, find out how many rows the section has: row 10 of 12 is the back of a section, and row 10 of 30 is near the front third.

Row 1 is not always the front

Premium rows can sit in front of a section's row 1. At Madison Square Garden, row 1 in the 100 level is not always the first row, because floor-level premium rows sit ahead of it. On a concert floor, rows are often set up fresh for each show and may not match the arena's permanent numbering.

Seat numbers and finding the aisle

Seat numbers tell you where you sit within a row, and the most practical question they answer is whether you are on an aisle. Some venues start seat 1 at the aisle on one side of a section; others number from one direction across the whole level. Theaters sometimes use odd numbers on one side of the house and even numbers on the other, which means seats 1 and 2 may not be next to each other. Seat numbering also does not always start on the side you expect. One guide to Radio City Music Hall notes that lower seat numbers there are on the right side when you face the stage.

Seat position can matter beyond the aisle. At Fenway Park, support poles in the Grandstand often sit near seat 1 or the last seat in a row, so the middle seats of a row see more. When a listing does not say "aisle," do not assume it is one. If an aisle seat matters, look for listings that state it or for seat-level detail on the interactive map.

Colors, symbols and listing notes

Interactive maps add a layer of information on top of the chart.

• Colors usually group sections by price tier or show where tickets are available. They are not a quality ranking, and two sections in the same color can have very different views.
• The wheelchair symbol marks accessible seating locations, often with companion seats beside them. At Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the venue's FAQ says accessible seating is in Row 1 and Row 70.
• GA means general admission: no assigned seat, first come, first served, as on many concert floors and lawns.
• Limited view or obstructed view means something blocks part of the sightline, such as a pole, railing, overhang or production equipment.
• Piggyback seats are seats in consecutive rows, one directly behind the other, rather than side by side.
• Zone or section-only listings guarantee an area but not exact seats, which will be assigned later.

Read the notes on a listing as carefully as the chart itself. They often hold the one detail that changes the value of a seat.

Charts change with the event

A venue does not have one seating chart; it has one per configuration. The same arena can be set up for basketball, hockey, an in-the-round concert or an end-stage concert, and each setup changes which seats exist and what they see.

• End-stage concerts place the stage at one end, so sections behind it are closed or sold as limited or no view, and side sections near the stage see it at a sharp angle.
• In-the-round shows put the stage in the middle, so most sections have a reasonable view and none is "behind" the stage.
• Outdoor venues vary layouts too. Red Rocks notes that its seating charts vary by event.
• Theatrical productions can change how each tier reads. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular seat map describes the orchestra as up close, the first mezzanine as a strong view of the stage, and the upper mezzanines as better for seeing formations and overhead effects from above.

Always use the chart attached to the specific event listing, not a generic venue map from a search result.

A pre-purchase checklist

• Orient yourself. Find the stage or field and identify which sides are center, side and end.
• Confirm the level. Check what that level actually is at this venue, not what the number usually means.
• Count the rows. Learn how many rows the section has, and where row 1 sits.
• Check the seat position. Note whether you are on an aisle and whether the end of the row has known obstructions.
• Read the notes. Look for limited view, piggyback or zone seating.
• Match the configuration. Make sure the chart belongs to this event and stage setup.
• Check the view. Use the methods in the guide on checking the view from your seat before you buy.

Once you can read the chart, the larger question is which seat to choose. The pillar guide on choosing seats at any venue covers sightlines, obstructions, sun and value.

Sources

• Chicago Cubs: Wrigley Field seating renumbering
• Red Rocks Amphitheatre FAQ
• Rockettes: Radio City Christmas Spectacular seat map
• Wikipedia: Radio City Music Hall
• TickPick: Radio City Music Hall seating chart (orientation)
• Ballpark E-Guides: Fenway Park seating guide (orientation)
• From This Seat: Madison Square Garden seating chart (orientation)
• Shaded Seats: Lambeau Field (orientation)
• RateYourSeats: Lambeau Field section 322 (orientation)