Upcoming Minnesota Vikings dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The Vikings in brief
The Minnesota Vikings play their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, an indoor stadium with a translucent roof that seats 66,202 for football. Preseason games are in August, the regular season runs from September into early January, and playoff games follow when the team qualifies. Because the stadium is enclosed, a December game in Minneapolis is as comfortable as one in September.
The NFL awarded the franchise in January 1960, and the Vikings began play in 1961. They won the 1969 NFL championship and have reached four Super Bowls, IV, VIII, IX and XI, without winning one. The defensive line of the late 1960s and 1970s, the Purple People Eaters, remains the team's best-known identity. The Wilf family has owned the club since 2005, and the colors are purple and gold.
The Vikings share the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. The Packers rivalry is the sharpest, fed by the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin.
U.S. Bank Stadium: a roof that lets the daylight in
U.S. Bank Stadium opened on July 22, 2016, at 401 Chicago Avenue in the Downtown East neighborhood, on the site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority owns it. About 60 percent of the roof is ETFE, a clear fluoropolymer plastic, covering roughly 240,000 square feet, the largest such roof in North America. Glazed entrances with giant pivoting doors and the translucent roof bring natural light into the bowl while keeping out snow and cold.
Capacity figures vary by source and year: the stadium is listed at 66,202 for football, other listings cite a usual capacity of 66,860, and the building can expand to about 73,000 for major events. It hosted Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018, and the 2019 NCAA Men's Final Four, which set its attendance record of 72,711.
Before 2016, the Vikings played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington from 1961 to 1981, at the Metrodome from 1982 to 2013, and for two seasons at the University of Minnesota's open-air stadium while the new building went up.
Picking seats: home sideline, clubs and the upper bowl
Which side is which
The Vikings bench is on the south sideline. The Delta Sky360 Club has a field-level patio directly behind it, where members watch players enter and leave the locker room. The visitors are on the north sideline. If you want to sit behind the home team, buy on the south side; if you want to see the Vikings bench across the field, the north side gives you that view.
Club options by location
- TCL Club: the team describes these as the closest club seats to the field in the NFL, about 41 feet from the sideline.
- Sukup Club: 200-level seats on the home (south) sideline, above the Medtronic Club, which the team bills as its most upscale club.
- Club Gold: 200-level seats on the north sideline, above the Polaris Club.
- Red Zone Clubs: 100-level seats on each sideline between the end zone and the 20-yard line.
Judging the view
The very front rows of the lower bowl put you level with the players, which is exciting but hides much of the field behind the sideline crowd. Middle rows of the 100 level, or the 200 level between the 20-yard lines, show plays developing more clearly. Upper-level sideline seats are the most affordable way to see the full field, and from there the roof and glass give the building its open feel. End-zone seats are close to scoring plays and weak for the far end.
Noise
The roof traps sound. A full building gets very loud, especially during the Skol chant, and young children may want ear protection.
Demand: rivals, prime time and the playoff push
A Vikings home season includes preseason games in August, eight or nine regular-season games and any playoff games. The dates that draw the most demand are predictable.
- Packers games lead every season. Wisconsin fans make the drive across the border, which adds visiting demand to an already strong home crowd.
- Bears and Lions games carry division stakes and pull traveling fans from Illinois and Michigan.
- Prime-time games on Sunday, Monday or Thursday night draw national attention and tighter supply.
- Preseason games are the easiest and least expensive way to see the stadium.
Because the stadium is indoors, cold weather does not push late-season resale listings down the way it can at open-air stadiums. A December game with playoff implications tends to firm up rather than soften. Home playoff games sell on short notice once the bracket is set.
Gameday in Downtown East
As of the 2026 season, the Vikings use mobile tickets delivered through the team's app. The clear-bag policy allows a clear plastic bag no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch about 4.5 by 6.5 inches; backpacks, cinch bags, coolers and purses larger than a clutch are prohibited. The team encourages fans to bring no bag at all. Check the current rules on the team's gameday guide before you go.
Getting there
- Light rail: the METRO Blue Line and Green Line both stop at U.S. Bank Stadium station, next to the building.
- Skyway: downtown's enclosed skyway network connects toward the stadium, useful on a cold day if you park or stay downtown.
- Driving: downtown ramps and lots fill up on game days, so reserve parking in advance where possible and expect freeway delays.
Tailgating and pregame
Medtronic Plaza opens three hours before kickoff. The Commons, near the stadium, hosts a pregame tailgate area with local food trucks. Traditional tailgating lots are sold by season pass only, with no single-game passes, so most visitors tailgate in the plaza areas or nearby bars. In those season lots, supervised charcoal and propane grills and tents up to 8 by 8 feet are allowed, while wood fires, deep fryers, kegs and glass are not. Every order on GoodSeats ships free with no digital transfer fees.
Traditions and moments that define the franchise
Before every home game, an honored guest sounds the Gjallarhorn, a tradition that began in 2007. The Skol chant, with fans clapping in unison over their heads and shouting "skol," follows big moments, and the fight song is "Skol, Vikings."
The most famous recent moment came in the playoff game after the 2017 season, when Stefon Diggs caught a walk-off touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the play known as the Minneapolis Miracle. The Vikings then lost the NFC Championship Game, one win short of playing Super Bowl LII in their own stadium. The team's training camp also moved in 2018, from Minnesota State University in Mankato, its summer home since 1966, to the TCO Performance Center in Eagan.
For road games, Lambeau Field and Soldier Field are open-air stadiums where December means real cold, while Ford Field in Detroit is a dome like U.S. Bank Stadium.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the Minnesota Vikings play?
The Vikings play at U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, on the former Metrodome site. The stadium opened in 2016.
Does U.S. Bank Stadium have a roof?
Yes. The fixed roof is about 60 percent translucent ETFE plastic, so the stadium is indoors but filled with daylight. Weather does not affect your seat choice.
Which sideline is the Vikings sideline?
The Vikings bench is on the south sideline, with the Delta Sky360 Club patio directly behind it. The visitors use the north sideline.
How many people does U.S. Bank Stadium hold?
The stadium is listed at 66,202 for football, with some sources citing 66,860, and it can expand to about 73,000. The 2019 Final Four set the attendance record of 72,711.
How do I get to U.S. Bank Stadium by transit?
Take the METRO Blue Line or Green Line light rail to U.S. Bank Stadium station, which sits next to the building.