Sports Illustrated Stadium — Attraction in Harrison

I've seen Red Bull Arena from the train on a regular basis for years (hard to miss the white dome as you ride past Newark), but I'd never gone inside until Saturday night. One of my noble chums got primo seats in the second row for the Red Bulls Fan Appreciation Night, so despite the fact that a) I'm not the biggest soccer fan in the world and b) this involved being in the Newark area after dark (it was totally fine), I found myself 15 feet from the pitch wearing an edgy Red Bulls scarf, bellowing any time the ball came close to our area.

I've been to my share of sports arenas, probably most often involving Mets games, and this was by far the easiest one to drive to and get into. A HUGE part of that was because these seats involved VIP parking that was a literal one-minute walk into the (get ready for it) VIP entrance. For someone used to planning out an hour-long itinerary just to get into a stadium parking lot, this was a giant but welcome culture shock. There was a bit of traffic as you crossed the Passaic River into the newly gentrified Harrison area, but it was moving and well organized. There was also an intriguing looking, now-shuttered establishment on the way called The Titanic that I gave a few lingering looks to, but based on its exterior we were at least a year too late to take advantage of whatever that place had to offer.

The best comp I can give you for this stadium is probably a higher level Minor League Baseball park. It's pretty clean and accessible with a lot of solid amenities, but it's not to the level of our most popular professional sports in this country. If you're expecting an electric atmosphere on par with the World Cup or really any European football games, you'll be disappointed. There were clearly a lot of enthusiastic fans that made this experience a positive one, but there were also a lot of empty seats (it was probably at half capacity or close to it, despite a scarf giveaway and a post-game fireworks show that we didn't stay for as it was time for bed) that you'd expect from a team that's playing sub .500 soccer. There were some interesting food options that we walked by - along with obligatory weenies and pizza, they had an Asian-influenced noodle stand - and the prices were pretty competitive in my opinion; you'd be appalled if your local convenience store was charging this, but compared to an MLB or NFL stadium, it's probably 25% cheaper.

Because we had bougie primo seats, we had access to the Audi Club, which was basically a high-end cafeteria with a number of all-inclusive food options, along with a full-service bar that cost extra. I'd accidentally gone on an Uber Eats toot earlier in the day that I'm blaming on the inclement weather so I didn't get to take quite as much advantage of this as I would have liked. Notwithstanding, I managed to consume about five or six very solid macarons and an M&M cookie. Several chums consumed some high-level Pat LaFrieda cattle as well.

This was a pleasant arena to spend a few hours in. It's conveniently located if you're in the North Jersey area, and it's low-key compared to some of its higher profile neighbors (cough cough MetLife...

The stadium itself is a modern building designed for soccer rather than NFL or baseball, so the view from all seats is decent. Like many stadiums it is in an out of town location., but has good transport links. I got there early on the Path train from WTC, so walked from Newark Penn Station to the ground. It was only a 15 minute walk, but I wouldn't recommend doing this in the dark as I wouldn't feel too safe. Instead get off at Harrison or use one of the Shuttle buses to Penn Station. After the match I walked to Harrison Station, which is only about 5 muns away. I thought it might be overcrowded after the match, but it was fine and I think extra trains were running. It might be a good idea to make sure you have a return ticket or buy your ticket back before the game to avoid queueing at the ticket machines. Tickets for the match are all mobile, so you have to have a phone. No paper tickets at all. I had to use the free WiFi to access the ticket on my phone as I couldn't get a signal at the ground.

Inside the ground is clean and efficient with countless food and drink counters it should be easy to get served quickly. $6 for a Pepsi, though. There are also a number of stalls to buy jerseys and scarfs. I found these to be extremely expensive. $30 for a scarf and $95 for the cheapest Jersey is considerably more than in the UK or Europe, but many fans had bought them.

The game itself was exciting, with chances for both teams. I think the Red Bulls are going through a tough period at the moment and there were some boos from the crowd at the end. If you're used to European football, then the quality of the MLS isn't anywhere near the English Premier or La Liga. Somewhere like the bottom of the English Championship/top of League 1. There are some good players but a lot of mediocre ones, so don't expect too much. But I did enjoy the game. The style is different, very end to end, and it's good to see it gaining a following with the Americans when they have so many other sporting choices. Maybe if it wasn't so expensive there would be an even bigger...

We traveled from Long Island to Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey for the first time to watch the Gotham FC women’s team, and the experience was absolutely unforgettable!

One of the highlights of the night was that my daughter, along with her LISC soccer teammates, had the incredible opportunity to walk onto the field and take part in the pregame team parade. Seeing the kids so proud, smiling ear to ear, and experiencing that moment up close with their role models was priceless. As a parent, it’s something I’ll never forget, and for the girls, it was pure inspiration to keep working hard and dreaming big.

The stadium itself was fantastic clean, organized, and easy to navigate. There are plenty of food options on-site, so grabbing a bite to eat while watching the game was a breeze. To top it off, they even sell Red Bulls at a discounted price, which was such a nice surprise and added to the fun atmosphere of the night.

The energy inside the stadium was electric. Fans of all ages came together to cheer for Gotham, and the crowd created such a family-friendly yet thrilling vibe. It wasn’t just about watching soccer it felt like being part of something much bigger, a community of people who love and support the game.

Making the trip from Long Island was 100% worth it. Between the outstanding stadium experience, the chance for the kids to shine on the field, the great food and drinks, and the unforgettable atmosphere, this was truly a 5-star experience all around. We’re already looking forward to coming back...