Reliant Stadium

Reliant Stadium, the former NRG Stadium

Reliant Stadium is the home of the Houston Texans, a 72,220-seat stadium with a retractable roof in Reliant Park, south of downtown Houston. If you know it as NRG Stadium, it is the same building. It opened as Reliant Stadium in August 2002, was renamed NRG Stadium on March 19, 2014 (NRG Energy is Reliant's parent company), and operated as "Houston Stadium" during the 2026 FIFA World Cup under FIFA's rule against sponsor names. On April 15, 2026, NRG announced it would restore the Reliant Stadium and Reliant Park names after the tournament, with new signage scheduled to be in place for the 2026 NFL preseason. Expect all three names on maps, older parking passes and ticket listings for a while.

The stadium hosts far more than football:

• Houston Texans: preseason games in August, then the regular season from September into January.
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: a co-tenant since 2003, held over about three weeks each March, with nightly concerts after the rodeo.
• College football: the Texas Bowl each winter, plus the January 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.
• Big events: Super Bowls XXXVIII (2004) and LI (2017), WrestleMania 25, seven 2026 World Cup matches, Monster Jam, Supercross and stadium concert tours.

Reliant Stadium seating chart: the 100, 300 and 500 levels

The bowl is stacked in three main public tiers, with the section number telling you the level:

• 100 level (Field Level): the lower bowl surrounding the field. Guest Experience booths sit near sections 113 and 133.
• 300 level (Club Level or mezzanine): the middle tier, where much of the stadium's more than 7,000 club seats are concentrated along with lounges and bars. Booths sit near sections 317 and 345.
• 500 and 600 levels (Upper Level): the upper deck, the largest and least expensive part of the building, with sections numbered in the 500s and 600s. Booths sit near sections 516 and 542.

The stadium also has 186 luxury suites between the tiers. ADA seating, per the Texans, is located at the top of the sections on the lower, mezzanine and upper concourses.

The roof is two fabric panels that split at the 50-yard line and slide over each end zone, and it can open or close in about seven minutes. For Texans games the decision is made two hours before kickoff based on temperature, rain chances, cloud cover and wind, and it does not change after that. In practice the roof is often closed in Houston's early-season heat, so sun and rain matter far less here than at an open-air stadium.

Best seats for Texans games, the rodeo and concerts

Football

Lower-bowl sideline sections between the 20-yard lines are the premium inventory. Rows in the teens and twenties are the sweet spot; the first few rows sit at field level, where players, staff and cameras along the sideline block part of the far side. The 300-level club sideline gives the best balance of height and comfort in the building, with indoor lounges and shorter lines. For value, the lowest rows of the 500 level along the sidelines give a clean, television-style view of plays developing. The top rows of the upper corners are the longest climb and the farthest seats from the field. End-zone seats in the lower bowl are good for red-zone action and poor for plays at the far end. Confirm which sideline each team uses on the seat map for your game before paying a sideline premium.

RodeoHouston

The rodeo was built into the stadium's design: livestock is housed under the north end of the lower bowl, and a 42-foot stage at the south end rolls into the center of the floor for the concert that follows each rodeo performance. With the stage in the middle, the lower sideline sections on either side get the closest look at both the arena events and the show, while the upper deck still sees the full arena. Weekend nights and big-name concert nights sell first.

Stadium concerts

For touring end-stage shows, lower sideline sections angled toward the stage and the front of the floor are the best seats. Sections directly beside or behind the stage are often limited-view, so read the listing notes before buying.

Reliant Park parking, tailgating and METRORail

Reliant Park has about 26,000 parking spaces in color-coded lots around the stadium, and for Texans games the lots double as one of the NFL's bigger tailgate scenes.

Parking lots

As of the 2026 season, lots include Purple, Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Maroon, Gold, Teal, Platinum and Yellow. Everyone over age two needs a game ticket or a tailgate ticket to enter Reliant Park property during the NFL season. General lots open four hours before kickoff, and the Platinum lot opens five hours before. Lot access depends on the color:

• Green, Yellow and Purple: exit at Main Street.
• Blue and Red: use Kirby Drive.
• Maroon and Orange: take the Fannin Street exit.

The Texans' gate-walk map shows some lots 30 to 60 minutes or more from the gates on foot, so check which gate is closest to your section before you buy a pass.

Tailgating

Tailgating is allowed in all Reliant Park lots for Texans games, limited to your space and the area directly in front of or behind your vehicle. Extra spaces for canopies, grills on trailers or RVs must be purchased, saving spots is not allowed, and post-game tailgating is limited to one hour. Lighter fluid is prohibited, and grills must be cleared before kickoff.

METRORail and rideshare

The METRORail Red Line serves Reliant Park; riders exit at the Fannin stop and enter at Gate 2. Rideshare and taxi drop-off is at Yellow 35, Gate 16B off Main Street. See the Reliant Park directions and parking page for maps.

Reliant Stadium bag policy and entry (2026)

As of the 2026 season, all Texans games and NFL events at Reliant Stadium follow the NFL clear-bag policy. Reliant Park's guide lists what is allowed when the clear-bag rule is in effect:

• one clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches;
• or a one-gallon clear plastic zip-seal bag;
• plus a small clutch no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches, with or without a strap.

Medically necessary items are allowed after inspection. For other events, bag rules vary by show, but backpacks and bags larger than 11 by 17 inches are not allowed, and lockers are not available for most events.

• Gates: for Texans games, club and suite holders use the East and West Club entrances two hours before kickoff. General gates (Ford, Kroger, Phillips 66 and Xfinity) are listed at 90 minutes before kickoff in the Texans' A-Z guide and two hours in other team and venue pages, so plan on the shorter window.
• Tickets: Texans tickets are mobile only.
• Re-entry: once your ticket is scanned, there is no re-entry.
• Cashless: food, drink and merchandise are cashless.

Check the venue's current policy on the Reliant Park A-Z guide before you go.

Clubs, food and comfort

Concourses are open to the field, so you can follow the game while you are in line, and glass walls give the building an open-air feel even with the roof closed. Designated smoking areas are outside on the Service Level, on the Field Level terraces and on the Club and Upper Level ramps. A Nursing Mothers Room is reached through the Guest Experience booth at section 133. Every GoodSeats order comes with guaranteed entry, so your seats are covered from checkout to the gate.

History: from the Astrodome's neighbor to three names

Reliant Stadium was built next to the Astrodome to replace it, designed for both NFL football and the rodeo's space needs. Ground was broken on March 9, 2000, and construction took 30 months at a cost of 352 million dollars, making it the first NFL stadium with a retractable roof. The Texans lost the first preseason game to Miami on August 24, 2002, then beat Dallas 19–10 in the first regular-season game that September. Natural grass on trays gave way to artificial turf in 2015. The naming deal, signed in 2000 for 32 years, put Reliant on the building, then NRG from 2014, and Reliant again from the 2026 season.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Reliant Stadium (NRG Stadium)
• Reliant Park – A-Z Guide
• Reliant Park – Directions and Parking
• Reliant Park – Facilities
• Houston Texans – Stadium A-Z Guide
• Houston Texans – Parking and Tailgating
• Houston Texans – Clear Bag Policy
• Houston Texans – Know Before You Go