Raymond James Stadium Tampa Tickets

Raymond James Stadium events and heritage

Raymond James Stadium broke ground in 1996 and staged its first game on September 20, 1998, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Chicago Bears. University of South Florida Bulls football, the ReliaQuest Bowl and the Gasparilla Bowl also call it home, and the Tampa Sports Authority, created in 1965, manages the venue. The name belongs to Raymond James Financial, a St. Petersburg-based financial services firm that has held the naming rights since the stadium opened.

Its big-event record includes Super Bowls XXXV, XLIII and LV, WrestleMania 37 and the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, the first held in the southeastern US. Past concerts have included U2, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. TixChoice compares ticket sellers for football, concerts and other events here, and the seller you select completes the purchase.

Buccaneer Cove and the pirate ship

One of the stadium's most recognizable features is Buccaneer Cove, a 20,000-square-foot area running the full length of the north end-zone concourse. Concessions, including authentic Tampa items, are sold from a weathered, two-story fishing-village facade and from beach-hut kiosks. The centerpiece is a 103-foot replica of an early-1800s vessel, built by the company that makes props for Walt Disney World. When the Buccaneers score, its cannons fire seven times for a touchdown and three times for a field goal. An animatronic parrot on the stern talks to fans passing beneath.

Raymond James Stadium seating plan and clubs

Main-concourse sections include 103 and 143. The Hyundai West Club is near section 203, the East Club is near section 228, and upper-concourse sections include 304 and 342. General admission guests enter through Ford Gate, Gate B, Suzuki Marine Gate or Fifth Third Bank Gate. Club and suite ticket holders use dedicated Hyundai West Club or East Club entrances.

Buccaneers owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz played a major role in the original 1998 interior, shaping the club levels, luxury suites and Lower Galley restaurant. The venue is open-air, with a grass playing surface.

How the stadium was redeveloped

Phased renovations ran from 2014 to 2018:

• 2014: the main-level concession locations were completely redesigned.
• 2016: new HD video boards arrived in each end zone, with four HD tower displays in the lower-bowl corners. The stadium also gained a new sound system, and the luxury suites were renovated.
• 2017: the Hyundai West Club was redesigned, the Hall of Fame Club expanded and a 10,000-square-foot team store opened.
• 2018: the East Club was completely renovated and gained Bar 76, a premium sports bar at its atrium entrance. The bar is named after the team's inaugural 1976 season.

Getting to Raymond James Stadium

The stadium is at 4201 North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. When it is in use, the mass-transit drop-off on the north side serves buses, taxis and rideshare. It sits beside the pedestrian bridge off Dale Mabry. The main Uber and Lyft area is at Steinbrenner Field. Ford Gate and Suzuki Marine Gate have dedicated accessible entrances beside their ramps.