For the Rockies season opener on Thursday, fans are coming back to Coors Field for the first time since 2019 after the coronavirus pandemic led to the gates being closed all of last year.
With a capacity variance of 42.6% (21,363 of 50,144), the opener against the Dodgers will feel different for fans used to packing the stadium for LoDo’s annual holiday. Despite the attendance limit, as of midday Tuesday, there are still tickets available for the game as cheap as $40 through the team’s official site, as well as through various secondary-market sites.
Tickets are being sold in pods of two, three or four and fans are not allowed to sit in front, behind or on either side of each pod. Each pod will have a designated entry gate, and all tickets for the 2021 season are digital.
Those who enjoy exploring the park, or loitering around the concourse while watching the game, should be prepared for a different experience this year. Standing room areas, including the concourse, The Rooftop and playgrounds, will not be available for gathering. There are also no standing-room tickets being sold.
Additionally, stadium access will be restricted to an individual’s pod and corresponding restroom/concession areas, while directional arrows on the ground will indicate one-way walking patterns.
Fans are required to wear a mask at all times in the stadium, a mandate which the club’s game day staff will be enforcing. Face coverings such as bandanas and masks with valves are not considered approved face coverings. Children under 2 do not have to wear a mask, and proof of COVID vaccination is not required for entry.
In a few other notable COVID protocols, sunflower seeds and shelled nuts are not permitted. All transactions will be cashless. And, players are prohibited from signing autographs at any point or from tossing balls into the stands.
The Rockies’ 42.6% attendance variance extends through the team’s opening homestand. Following a four-game series against Los Angeles, Colorado hosts Arizona for a three-game series that concludes April 8. After that, the capacity restrictions, or lack thereof, for the remaining 74 home games are to be determined.
Attendance in LoDo openers
A look at Colorado’s attendance history on home opening day since 1993, when the club set an MLB record for the largest attendance ever in an opener.
- 2021 — ?? (42.6% capacity restriction)
- 2020 — No fans allowed
- 2019 — 48,404
- 2018 — 48,216
- 2017 — 49,169
- 2016 — 49,360
- 2015 — 49,303
- 2014 — 49,130
- 2013 — 49,077
- 2012 — 49,282
- 2011 — 49,374
- 2010 — 49,509
- 2009 — 49,427
- 2008 — 49,233
- 2007 — 48,169
- 2006 — 47,278
- 2005 — 47,661
- 2004 — 48,013
- 2003 — 48,087
- 2002 — 50,392
- 2001 — 50,392
- 2000 — 48,094
- 1999 — 48,073
- 1998 — 48,016
- 1997 — 48,014
- 1996 — 50,185
- 1995 — 47,228 (1st game at Coors Field)
- 1994 — 72,470
- 1993 — 80,227 (1st MLB game in Denver)
