Your Honda Center Concert Guide

What Is It Like to See a Concert at Honda Center?

Anaheim, CAArena18,900 capacity

A 1993 hockey rink halfway through a billion-dollar rebuild, with no escalator to the 400s yet and upper corners that lose the video screens behind the speaker stacks.

What to Know Before You Go

1
Don't buy parking.
General parking in the on-site lots and the new garages is included with your event ticket, so skip the resale parking passes (details in [Getting There](#getting-there)).
2
Don't park at the movie theater plaza.
A 2023 Tripadvisor reviewer warned that event parkers there get towed, and a 2025 arena guide noted "NO EVENT PARKING" signs at the Stadium Promenade shopping center across the street.
3
Uber and Lyft don't come to the door.
Rideshare drop-off and pickup are at ARTIC, the train station across Katella Avenue. A Bandsintown reviewer in May 2025 put it bluntly: "you have to walk across the street."
4
Two entrances are closed.
The South and West entrances are shut for the Honda Center Encore construction. Medical and diaper bags (up to 12 by 12 by 12 inches, with extra screening) have to go through the Northwest entrance by the Puck Drop Patio.
5
Small bag or no bag.
At concerts and other non-Ducks events you get one bag no bigger than 5 by 9 by 2 inches, and backpacks aren't allowed. There's no bag check, so anything bigger goes back to the car.
6
Have the real ticket open.
Entry is by the live mobile ticket in the app. Screenshots and printouts of a mobile QR code aren't accepted, and the only paper tickets that scan are ones printed at the Honda Center box office.
7
Walk straight through security.
The Evolv walk-through scanners let you keep your phone, keys and wallet on you while you walk single file without stopping. Some guests still get pulled for a second check.
8
Cards only.
The whole building's cashless, from the box office and the merch stands to the beer taps, and cash isn't accepted anywhere.
9
No re-entry.
Once your ticket's scanned, you can't leave and come back on it. Emergencies go through a Security or Guest Services manager.
10
Eat upstairs.
The Terrace concourse has more stands than the Plaza level, including two self-pour beer taps (see [Food, Drink, and Merch](#food-drink-and-merch)).

At a Glance

Capacity: 18,900
Venue Type: Arena
Year Opened: 1993
Seating: Reserved + GA Floor on select tours
Cashless: Yes
Cell Service: Free Wi-Fi (Cox Business, 430+ access points)
Climate: Indoor, AC
Parking: Included with ticket (on-site lots and garages)
Transit: Amtrak and Metrolink at ARTIC, across Katella Ave

What It's Actually Like

You're Watching a Show Inside a Construction Site

The Honda Center Encore renovation runs through 2027, and the arena's staying open the whole time. That means concourses, entry points and concession stands shift from one month to the next, and restrooms and elevators close for stretches while they're redone. A fan leaving a May 2025 show wrote that "Traffic is horrible" with the building under construction. An October 2025 Tripadvisor reviewer liked the new garages but called the walkway between them "still very narrow and sketchy." It's a better building every season. It just isn't a finished one yet.

Bring Your Climbing Legs

An April 2025 Tripadvisor reviewer was "surprised to not see any escalators anywhere," and the building's elevators draw complaints too: "small and a little slow," per a January 2026 reviewer. If your ticket's on the Terrace, you're climbing. Escalators are part of the rebuild, but they're not here yet.

“The seat was pretty high up and there was persistent smoke but the sound was great.”

— A View From My Seat reviewer, Section 435, July 2025

Music Nights Sound Fine. Comedy Nights Don't.

Recent music reviews are mostly kind to the room. A Greta Van Fleet fan in April 2023 said "The sound was great for the concert," and several A View From My Seat reviewers at 2024 to 2026 tours have called it great or amazing. The bad reputation is older or comes from talkers. A 2013 Tripadvisor reviewer said the music bounced off the ceiling out of sync with the singers, and two reviewers at an October 2025 Matt Rife show said they could barely hear the jokes. If it's a band, you'll probably be fine. If it's spoken word, sit low and central.

The Outside Looks Like a Mall, and So Does the Concourse

"It almost looked like a shopping mall on the outside and felt like one on the inside, too," one April 2025 visitor wrote, and that's fair. It's a 1990s suburban arena with wide, plain concourses rather than a moody music room. The bowl's where it earns its keep. A 2016 Tripadvisor reviewer at The Who said the high angle of the seating "makes for great viewing from just about any seat in the house."

Section-by-Section Guide

The stage usually goes at one end of the arena, most often in front of Sections 214 to 216, but it isn't fixed. Some tours play center stage, and Nine Inch Nails used two stages in 2025, one in the middle and one at the end. Check which end the stage sits on in your ticket map before you trust any section advice below.

Floor (Sections 101-106 or GA Floor)

Reserved floor shows use Sections 101 to 106, with 101 to 103 up front and 104 to 106 behind them. Rows run about 14 seats across, with seats 7 and 8 in the middle, and Section 101 alone goes 26 rows deep, Row 1 closest to the stage (RateYourSeats). Some tours sell the whole floor as GA instead, with no assigned spots.

The floor is flat. Close is close, but by the back half you're watching through heads. A fan in Section 101, Row 24 at a 2024 show summed it up: "Not a bad view if you're tall or if no tall people are in front of you." Right at the front, the stage stacks are loud enough that a February 2024 Tripadvisor reviewer in the front row recommended earplugs. If you're buying for the view rather than the energy, a Plaza side seat usually beats the back half of the floor.

Plaza Level Sides (Sections 203-212 and 218-226)

In A View From My Seat reviews, these are the seats fans praise most. Plaza sections mostly run fewer than 20 rows, lettered A to S, with the concourse entrance at the top behind Row S. Section 208 adds three short rows (AA to CC) in front of Row A (RateYourSeats). That means even the back row of the lower bowl is close.

With the stage at the 214 to 216 end, Sections 206 to 210 and their mirror, 220 to 224, sit right along the side of the stage. A fan at a 5 Seconds of Summer show in Section 209, Row F said it was "Way closer than I expected!!" A Zach Top fan in 208, Row Q got "great view and great sound." Across the bowl, a fan in Section 218, Row Q said "I didn't realize how close we'd be to the stage." A 2025 fan in 218, Row R noted the photo wasn't even zoomed in.

One small catch on the near side: a 2022 reviewer in 208, Row G loved the distance but had a production cable "right in the middle of stage" from that angle. That's a touring rig, not the room, so it changes show to show.

Sections closer to the far end, like 203 to 205 and 225 to 226, angle you toward the stage from a longer distance. Section 203, Row G, Seat 1 is a single seat with "a railing on one side and stairs on the other," per one reviewer, which is great if you're solo and hate climbing over people.

Plaza Level Ends (Sections 201-202, 213-217 and 227-228)

End-stage shows get awkward here. RateYourSeats says Section 215 is behind or beside the stage for most concerts and may sell with a limited view; its rows run AA to LL and then A to S, with Row L usually the first row sold for concerts. Two separate A View From My Seat reviewers in Section 216, Row S at the same Justin Timberlake show said the same thing: "No screen view." You see the artist well and the production not at all.

The opposite end, around 201 to 202 and 227 to 228, gets a head-on view when the stage is at the 214 to 216 end. But stage ends move. A fan in 201, Row D tagged their seat as a limited view at a 2024 tour, which only makes sense if that night's stage sat at their end. Check the map.

Columbia Bank Club Level (Sections 301-325)

The 300s are a thin ring, about four rows per section, sitting roughly 20 rows above the floor with their own private concourse entry. In-seat food and drink service covers Sections 302 to 309 and 318 to 325 at Ducks games, and at least one concert fan got it too: a July 2025 reviewer in 325, Row D said the seats "came with seat service for food/drinks, club-level-only food and drink vendors and a merch table!"

Views are strong for the price bump. A fan in 304, Row B at a 2023 K-pop show called it "A very great seat for a good price," and one in 301, Row B said the centered angle was great for choreography, "especially on the catwalk." The club concourse has The Wine Cellar at Section 324 and The North Veranda bar at 321, both for club ticket holders.

Terrace Level (Sections 401-444)

The 400s are steep and closer than they look in photos. They're also where the screens disappear.

A fan in 409, Row N at an October 2026 country show said "It seems far in the photo, but it wasn't bad at all." A reviewer in 436, Row R, the last row, called it "actually a pretty good view," and a 2026 fan in 432, Row C would "definitely sit at this section and row again." A fan in 414 paid $70 in 2019 for a seat sold as limited view and said it "wasn't half bad."

The catch is the screens. The hanging speaker arrays and lighting rigs block the video screens from the Terrace side and corner sections, a pattern reported consistently by A View From My Seat reviewers across five different tours. At Breaking Benjamin in 2026, a fan in 411, Row L said the "speakers did block the screens most of the time," and another in 412, Row A couldn't see the screen behind the band at all. Section 431 drew "Couldn't see the screen at all" at one show and "great if you dont mind not seeing the screens very well" at another. A 441, Row U fan at an ATEEZ show said the lights and props blocked the middle screen. If the production's a big part of the show for you, the Terrace sections facing the stage head-on are safer than the corners near it. RateYourSeats specifically calls 431 a weaker concert pick.

Row letters matter up here. Sections have a wheelchair cross-aisle partway up (Section 436's rows run A to B, then WC, then F to R), and rows A to C sit below the entrance tunnel, so nobody walks across your view. Getting to the back rows means about 20 rows of steps, roughly 40 stairs per trip (RateYourSeats). End sections 401 and 444 are the farthest from an end stage, while side sections 412 and 413 are closer than people expect.

Accessibility Seating

Wheelchair-accessible and companion seats are on every level and the floor, including the WC cross-aisle rows in the Terrace. Semi-ambulatory seats with a few steps are sold too. Use the accessibility filter on the Ticketmaster seat map, and call 714-704-2500 for relocation. Guests with disabilities can use any elevator, including the VIP ones, and an usher will bring a wheelchair to you at entry if you ask. Sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools and weighted lap pads are at Guest Services near Section 214. Assisted listening devices are at Guest Services, and sign language interpreters need at least 14 business days' notice through accessibilityservices@hondacenter.com. Elevators are being modernized, so ask staff about outages on arrival. First Aid is at Section 202, with a doctor on site.

Going to a Show?

Heading to Honda Center? Add the show to Concerts Remembered before you go and it's on your phone whether or not you have signal inside. Afterward you'll have the setlist, your seat, and what you thought of it.

Getting There

Driving + Parking

General parking at the on-site lots and the Katella and Cerritos garages is included with your event ticket. Bill Foltz, CEO of the Ducks' parent company, told the LA Times in 2025 that it's the first all-inclusive arena parking model in the US, and he projected it'd get people in 20 to 30 minutes faster. If you see a third-party guide quoting $25 to $55 lots, it's out of date. The only parking you can still buy is a limited number of premium River Garage spaces, sold in advance on Ticketmaster only.

Parking gates open an hour before doors, and the arena asks you to come at least 60 minutes early and use Waze, because roads around the site keep changing. Douglass Road between Katella Avenue and Stanley Cup Way is permanently closed, and eastbound Cerritos Avenue at Sunkist Street closes two hours before events. A September 2025 Tripadvisor reviewer called the new structure "easy parking," with helpful attendants. Accessible spaces are in every garage on a first-come basis with a placard, but the River Garage's accessible spaces need a River Garage pass.

Transit

ARTIC, the station at 2626 E Katella Ave, is right across Katella from the arena, and Tripadvisor's listing puts it a 6-minute walk. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink's Orange County Line both stop there, coming in from Los Angeles and San Diego. A 2025 arena guide noted that Metrolink no longer runs special event trains from LA, so check the last regular train before you commit to an encore. OCTA buses 50, 53 and Rapid 553 also stop at ARTIC, and Anaheim Resort Transportation's Route 15 links it to the Disneyland hotel area if you're staying there.

Rideshare

Drop-off is at ARTIC, not the arena, so don't bother typing in the arena's address. Drivers enter from Katella via Douglass Road, and you'll walk across Katella to the doors.

Getting Out

Rideshare and taxi pickups are back at ARTIC too, so walk across Katella before you open the app. If you've driven, the arena's advice is to photograph where you parked and leave through the same entrance you came in, which matters more now that Douglass Road is closed.

Food, Drink, and Merch

Worth Getting

The Terrace concourse is the better food floor, and it's not close. Sweet Spot at Section 408 serves Straus Creamery organic soft serve, including pineapple. Feather & Flame at 426 does tri tip and smoked turkey sandwiches, The Crispy Catch at 434 has fish and chips and gumbo, and El Patito at 404 has tacos and masa quesadillas. Downstairs, Anaheim Pizza Co. at Section 203 does deep dish, and Arena Classics at 226 has a pastrami burger.

For beer, Blue Moon Draft Picks at Section 424 and Brewery X Draft Picks at 437 are self-pour taps, so you skip the bartender line. Bottle Logic at 433 pours from the Anaheim brewery of the same name. Full bars are at Sections 201, 208, 224 and 415.

Skip It

Don't plan around the Modelo Puck Drop Patio. Its $5 Modelos and food are a Ducks-game thing, and it isn't open for concerts.

The Strategy

Order ahead in the Honda Center app if your stand supports it. An April 2025 Tripadvisor reviewer said the self-serve ordering meant one line to order and another to collect, and missed most of a period waiting. The stand lineup also changes per event, with new bars due at Sections 208, 210, 212, 228 and 401 between December 2026 and summer 2027.

Merch

The Ducks Team Store has moved off-site to ARTIC's first floor, so don't go hunting for it inside. At one 2025 concert, a club-level reviewer found a separate merch table on the 300 level, which can beat the main concourse lines.

Venue History

The arena opened on June 17, 1993, as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, built for $123 million. Barry Manilow played the first show two days later, and Disney's brand-new Mighty Ducks moved in that fall. Honda bought the name in 2006, and "The Pond" lives on mostly in Ducks branding. The Ducks won the Stanley Cup on this ice on June 6, 2007.

For music, it's had real hometown nights. Anaheim's own No Doubt filmed Live in the Tragic Kingdom here in 1997, and Gwen Stefani came back to film her Harajuku Lovers Live homecoming in 2005. Santana sold out four straight nights on the Supernatural tour in August 1999, U2 played three Elevation nights in April 2001, and Mariah Carey recorded a concert film here in 2006.

The building you're walking into now is mid-transformation. In April 2025, Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli announced Honda Center Encore, a privately funded $1.1 billion overhaul running through 2027: a five-story South Entrance, escalators, new suites and clubs, and more. The OCVIBE district is rising around it, with a 5,000-capacity concert hall next door due in March 2027. In 2028 the arena hosts Olympic indoor volleyball.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a bad seat at Honda Center?

For seeing the artist, not really, but for seeing the screens, yes. The Terrace side and corner sections near the stage, like 411, 412 and 431, have repeatedly lost the video screens behind hanging speakers, and seats beside the stage such as 216, Row S can get no screen view at all (see [Section-by-Section Guide](#section-by-section-guide)).

How early should I arrive at Honda Center?

Doors usually open 90 minutes before showtime, and the arena itself asks guests to come at least an hour early while the rebuild keeps changing the approach. With the South and West entrances closed, every guest funnels through fewer doors than the building was designed for.

What does Honda Center actually enforce at entry?

The size limit is the one that sends people back to the car. At concerts it's one bag no bigger than 5 by 9 by 2 inches, no backpacks, and there's no bag check. You'll walk through Evolv scanners with your phone in your pocket, and the gate needs the live mobile ticket, not a screenshot.

Can I leave Honda Center and come back in?

Can I take the train to a concert at Honda Center?

Is there an escalator or elevator to the 400s at Honda Center?

Do you get in-seat service on the 300 level at Honda Center concerts?

Which seats sound best for a concert at Honda Center?

Honda Center Links

Website

Already Seen a Show Here?

Been to Honda Center? Add it to your concert history in the Concerts Remembered app. Which section were you in, and was it worth it?

Published October 2026Last reviewed October 2026

This guide is based on fan reports, public records, and community discussion. Claims we can’t source are left out rather than estimated, and the charts render only where the sample is large enough to trust. It is not sponsored by or affiliated with Honda Center.

Cite this guide

Concerts Remembered, "Honda Center," concertsremembered.app/venues/honda-center, updated October 2026.