SoFi Stadium and Los Angeles Chargers game review

I have been a chargers fan for over 20 years and I have driven down to Minneapolis for Minnesota Vikings games, but I’ve never been to a Chargers game. Well finally last year it was time.

SoFi Stadium is one of the leagues newer stadiums, and in the television coverage it looks tremendous; so in addition to seeing the Los Angeles Chargers play, I got to visit one of the leagues best stadiums. SoFi stadium boasts an impressive seating capacity of 70 240 with an option of being extended for major events.  The stadium has a massive panoramic infinity screen (that is over 70, 00 square ft.) spanning the entire stadium and a man made lake in front. There are also many easy game day options for parking and ways to get there. We elected for the park and ride option and parked in a lot in the close proximity of Inglewood and took a bus to the game. Getting there was easy and it was a fun bus ride with the fans, but waiting in the massive line outside after the game for the bus was a pain. There was also a lot of confusion on which line to get in based on where we parked, but after about 45 minutes we were on our way back to our rented Dodge Charger.

Now let’s get to the game itself, the Chargers were playing the Tennessee Titans, who I also enjoy watching. It was a close game where the Chargers won on a last minute field goal so that was a bonus. And despite hearing that there aren’t a lot of fans, the Chargers fans turned out and as should be, vastly outnumbered the Titans fans. I was sitting next to a Titans fan and had fun chirping him and he was a good sport after their loss. The fans were loud, but not nearly as loud as the Vikings fans so that was one negative. But the fans, mostly Latino, were super friendly. Finding out I was a Canadian fan got them pumped and a group of guys came up and offered me a beer which we chugged prior to the game while just finishing tail gating.

Tailgating was a blast, mind you I was with my fiancé. I can imagine the fun that could be had with a group of the boys. There were tons of options for food and beer. The food was mostly Mexican, such as all types of tacos and a lot of LA style hot dogs. I tried a few different tacos, all were good except one, and the hot dog was good too. I had a few beers and got my pregame buzz going. In Thunder Alley, which looked buzzing, apparently Shawn Merriman was Wandering around, mingling with and taking photos with the fans.

Now finally for the stadium itself which is rated as one of the best in the league. When you arrive you will be amazed by the external architecture. The stadium is monstrous, modern and the lake out front adds to the ambiance. The stadium is massive and modern and it never feels like you’re in a traffic jam or waiting in line. The lines for the washrooms weren’t bad, and neither were the lines for food and drinks. The food was good, with typical stadium food and a lot of Mexican options. And not only was it easy to walk around and the lines were good, but it was easy to get out of the stadium when the game was finished. In Minneapolis it took almost an hour to get out of the stadium but at SoFi it was much quicker due to the wide walkway designs and many escalators and staircases. The seats were good too. We sat in a lower row in the upper bowl, close to the middle of the field and the view was pretty good for being up high.

One other tip, they don't allow bags in unless they are see through. So bring everything in your pockets, bring a clear bag or be prepared to buy a clear bag from a vendor outside the stadium for $20.

All in all, going to a Los Angeles Chargers game was an amazing experience. The stadium was beautiful and modern, the tailgating was buzzing and the food was good. The price of the tickets was reasonable too, we paid $400 CAD for the pair of tickets, cheaper than I paid at US Bank Stadium to watch the Chargers play the Vikings. The atmosphere was good but didn’t compare to the Vikings atmosphere and noise level, but the fans were nice and more plentiful than the commentators talk about. As a chargers fan, I will definitely go back. And even if you’re not a Chargers or Rams fan, the weather is good, the city is nice and the stadium is great, so SoFi is definitely a place worth visiting for a good old fashioned football game.