If you live in the Bay Area, Super Bowl 50 and events leading up to it are going to change the way you get to and from work, school and appointments.
Although the Super Bowl will be held in Santa Clara on Feb. 7, more than 1 million people are expected to flood into the Bay Area over a nine-day period for events taking place in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Daly City and Oakland.
Between Jan. 23 and Feb. 12, residents and visitors alike can expect street closures and backed-up roads.
We created a survival guide with tips and information about when and where some of the largest events will take place to help you plan around them.
Tips for All Bay Area Commuters:
- Work early, leave early: Transportation agencies are anticipating the most crowding on mass transit in the afternoon and early evening hours. So whether you're going to Super Bowl-related events or not, plan to work earlier and leave earlier.
- More riders, more trains: BART ridership is expected to peak on Jan. 30, and then Feb. 3 through Feb. 6. BART plans to dispatch more trains to increase carrying capacity during non-commute periods when additional cars are available. In addition, BART will work to adjust train lengths on lines that serve SFO and OAK on the busy travel days, which are expected to be Feb. 2 through Feb. 5, and Feb. 8. Caltrain is also adding additional trains, and special stops, for Super Bowl events. Santa Clara VTA is running additional trains for the Super Bowl. But regular commuters will be prohibited from traveling between Mountain View and Lick Mill stations. Alternative bus service will be available. In San Francisco, street closures in downtown S.F. and SoMa will impact drivers, Muni and bike lanes. Check with SFTMA before leaving home to see if your normal commute is affected.
Events and Street Closures
San Francisco
Super Bowl City
Where: Justin Herman Plaza, across from the Ferry Building, at the foot of Market Street.
When: Jan. 30-Feb. 7
- Jan. 31 - Feb. 4: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 1/31, 2/1, 2/2, 2/3, 2/4
- Jan. 30 and Feb. 5 - 6: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 1/30, 2/5 and 2/6
- Feb. 7: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Streets Affected: Super Bowl City will lead to reroutes and detours for cars and bikes on the following streets:
- Market Street, between Beale and Steuart streets
- Southbound Embarcadero, from Washington to Don Chee Way
- Beale, Main, Spear, Steuart streets from Market to Howard streets
NFL Experience
Where: Moscone Center, 747 Howard St., San Francisco
When: Jan. 30-Feb. 7
- 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 1/30, 2/6
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 1/31
- 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. 2/1, 2/2, 2/3, 2/4, 2/5
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 2/7
Streets Affected: NFL Experience will lead to reroutes and detours for cars and bikes on the following streets:
- Howard Street between Third and Fourth streets
- Partial closure on Howard between Fourth and Fifth streets
What: Pro football’s interactive theme park offering participatory games, youth football clinics, merchandise from NFL Shop and free autograph sessions from NFL players. NFL Experience also will debut new attractions in San Francisco, including personalized digital photos, upgraded 40-yard dash and vertical jump against NFL players on LED screens, a virtual reality experience, an enhanced Super Bowl rings display and a new NFL Draft set.
NFL Films and San Francisco Symphony: Concert of Champions
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco
When: Feb. 3-Feb. 4 at 8 p.m.
What: Hosted by NFL Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen, the concerts feature the iconic music and filmmaking of Emmy Award-winning NFL Films, with conductor Joshua Gersen leading the orchestra in live accompaniment. The S.F. Symphony will provide live orchestral accompaniment to a selection of short documentaries produced by NFL Films.
Santa Clara
Super Bowl Opening Night
Where: SAP Center, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose
When: Feb. 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
What: Fans will have the opportunity to see the Super Bowl teams in public for the first time at Super Bowl Opening Night, which is a shift from the traditional Media Day held on Tuesday morning. Visitors will be able to see players and coaches of the Super Bowl teams address fans and thousands of media members for the first time after the teams arrive in the Bay Area.
Discussion with George Seifert and Ronnie Lott
Where: Santa Clara University, the Leavey Center, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara
When: Jan. 26 at 9 a.m.
What: A program, featuring distinguished speakers like previous successful Super Bowl participants Ronnie Lott and George Seifert, about the positive contributions sports makes to leadership, life skills, ethics and values. The program is presented by the Institute of Sports Law and Ethics (ISLE) at Santa Clara University.
Daly City
Party With a Purpose
Where: Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave, Daly City
When: Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. for VIP
What: Party with a Purpose pairs chefs from the 32 NFL cities with current, Hall of Fame and alumni players from each of the NFL franchises as they serve over 45,000 tastings for 2,500 guests. Event-goers will also enjoy live musical entertainment from celebrity artists and have the opportunity to bid on over 250 unique sports memorabilia, vacation packages and other coveted items at the event’s silent auction. The event's culinary host will be award-winning TV personality Andrew Zimmern. Guests include Silver Alumni Council quarterbacks Archie Manning, Roger Staubach and Bart Starr, celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse, and former Hall of Fame NFL coach Don Shula, among others.
Oakland
Super Bowl Gospel Celebration
Where: Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland
When: Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
What: Super Bowl Gospel Celebration (SBGC) is the first and only gospel event sanctioned by the NFL for Super Bowl Weekend. The concert series features Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling gospel and contemporary Christian and mainstream artists, marquee NFL players and the NFL Players Choir together on one stage. It will be by far the largest multicultural event to take place during Super Bowl weekend. SBGC has featured artists, including Aretha Franklin, Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton & New Breed, and Patti LaBelle.