Venue FAQs

Entertainment & Sports Arena is committed to providing accessibility and accommodation to all of our guests for their comfort, safety and enjoyment. The arena offers a variety of wheelchair and companion seating locations. Seating locations vary depending on particular events. Please indicate when buying tickets if you require accessible seating.

All individuals two years of age or older must possess a valid ticket for entry into Entertainment & Sports Arena. A child under two years of age is admitted free of charge for all events, provided that the child sits on a patron’s lap. Occasionally, a family show may will require children younger than two years old to purchase a ticket. Please confirm at the point of purchase. 

Events DC and its concessionaire, Aramark, promote the responsible sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Guests should be prepared to show proper identification and proof of age when purchasing alcohol at Entertainment & Sports Arena. There is a limit of two drinks per person, per transaction.

Acceptable forms of identification are: valid driver’s license, passport, state issued I.D. card with photo, and military I.D. with photo.

All guests are expected and encouraged to drink responsibly. At the Arena, all alcohol sales will stop 60 minutes before the end of the event, or at the discretion of management.

Intoxicated guests may be denied entry to the Arena or denied service. Guests may not enter nor leave the venue with alcohol. Alcoholic beverages must be consumed or thrown out before entry to or exiting the venue.

Service dogs that are trained to provide services and tasks for persons with disabilities are permitted. Support or companion animals are not permitted. Guests with service dogs may not take up additional seats unless a ticket has been purchased for the adjacent seat for the service dog.

Patrons may not enter Entertainment & Sports Arena with bags, backpacks, purses, or luggage. Wallet-size clutches no larger than 5” x 7”, medical bags or parenting/diaper bags no larger than 14″ x 14″ x 6″ are permitted. Any medical or parenting bags (child must be present) that are exempted are subject to security screening.

Please note, there are no bag checks or bag storage locations available to the public at the Entertainment & Sports Arena. 

Events DC reserves the right to confiscate items within the arena that may cause a danger or disruption to the event or to other guests.

• Non-professional still cameras (digital or film) are allowed at Entertainment & Sports Arena including Washington Mystics games. Non-professional lenses are generally defined as lenses less than 6”in length.
• Professional cameras (generally defined as a camera with a fixed or detachable lenses longer than 6″ or large lenses) are PROHIBITED.
• No flash photography is permitted, regardless of camera size.
• Video cameras, and taking of video with other devices, are prohibited.
• We reserve the right to disallow cameras that, in the opinion of management, will be used to produce professionally marketed images.
• Tripods and monopods are not permitted.
• Standing or positioning oneself in order to take pictures in a manner that obstructs the view or enjoyment of the event by others is not permitted.
• Please note that any and all camera bags are not permitted at Entertainment & Sports Arena as ESA has a strict no-bag policy.
• Accredited professional photographers are required to be credentialed
• For Washington Mystics and Capital City Go-Go games, professional photographers must check-in with our Communications team upon entering our Arena

In the rare event that an Entertainment & Sports Arena event is postponed or cancelled, please visit EventsDC.com for up-to-date information on scheduled events or contact us with specific questions.

Events DC and the Entertainment and Sports Arena are committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for all patrons visiting this facility.

Patrons may be subject to ejection and loss of access to events without a refund of purchased tickets as a result of the following inappropriate and disruptive behavior:

• Directing obscene, profane or abusive language toward event participants, patrons, or staff
• Directing obscene, profane or abusive behavior toward event participants, patrons, or staff
• Communicating obscene, profane or abusive displays on signs, clothing, or other visible representations; this includes chants, gestures, and other activity
• Indecent exposure or the wearing of obscene or indecent clothing
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Fighting
• Causing damage to arena property
• Smoking inside of the facility. Vape pens, electronic cigarettes or similar are not allowed inside the arena and may be confiscated.
• Possession or use of any illegal substance
• Scalping or other improper resale of tickets
• Interfering with or refusing security procedures
• Interfering with any operations related to the event
• Throwing any objects; onto the event floor, in the seating area, or on the concourse of the arena
• Failure to follow directions from arena staff regarding policies and emergency procedures
• Any other action warranting ejection and/or confiscation of event tickets by arena security

The above listed actions and any other activity deemed disruptive by arena staff will not be tolerated and may serve as grounds for removal.  Additionally, by engaging in any of the above enumerated behavior or other disruptive behavior, persons may be subject to other actions including, but not limited to, debarment from the arena, arrest, and/or prosecution.

For comments, suggestions, complaints or concerns, please contact us here.

Entertainment & Sports Arena is located at 1100 Oak Drive SE, Washington, DC 20032. Please visit our Getting There page for more information. 

Door opening times at Entertainment & Sports Arena vary according to the event. Please confirm the opening times on the event page.  The typical times are listed below.

• Washington Mystics –Doors open one hour prior to game time.
• Capital City Go-Go – Doors open one hour prior to game time.
• Concerts/Other Events – Doors open one hour prior to the event unless otherwise specifically noted

Entertainment & Sports Arena updates the event calendar as soon as events are confirmed. 

Baby changing stations are located in most restrooms throughout Entertainment & Sports Arena. A Family Restroom is available on the event floor level. Nursing accommodations are also available on the event floor level.

Entertainment & Sports Arena staff are committed to ensuring a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for all guests. Ask any of our Guest Services agents located at various locations around the arena or contact us here.

Face masks are optional inside all Events DC venues starting March 1, 2022. 

A facility fee is charged to each ticket purchased at Entertainment & Sports Arena and may vary depending on the type of event.

Immediately following each event, Entertainment & Sports Arena is cleaned and any items left in the arena are recovered and given to our management.

If you think you may have left some of your personal belongings behind while attending an event, please contact us here and we will promptly get back to you.

Children should be directed to the nearest Entertainment & Sports Arena staff member should they become lost. Lost children will be taken to Guest Services Office near the Main Entrance. Parents looking for a lost child should go to this office as well. Please report lost persons to Entertainment & Sports Arena staff.

Limited paid on-site parking is available in the Green Lot (at Malcolm X Ave. & 8th St. SE) and the new parking garage behind the Arena. Pre-paid parking may be available for select events via Parkwhiz and is highly encouraged. Pricing varies by event. Cash and credit is accepted at both lots. On-street parking is available on the St. Elizabeths campus on a first-come-first-served basis. 

Parking Garage: To access the garage – enter at Cypress Avenue and follow until it inserts with Pecan St. SE.  Paid parking is available on event days.

Green Lot: To access the Green Lot – enter through Malcom X Ave SE and 8th Street SE (2915 8th Street SE). Parking is available for $10 per car on event day. Click here to reserve your parking spot ahead of time. Shuttle service from the Green Lot will be available during Washington Mystics games and other Arena events.

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to:

• Adhesive stickers
• Balloons
• Cans or coolers
• Cigarette lighters
• Confetti and streamers
• Fireworks
• Frisbees or inflated balls
• Illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia
• Large flags and banners 
• Laser pointers
• Glass containers of any kind (Guests are allowed one empty, plastic or metallic bottle for use at Arena water fountains/bottle refilling stations)
• Missile or projectile-like objects
• Monopods, tripods or selfie sticks 
• Noisemakers of any kind (such as can operated air horns, sirens, kazoos, whistles, etc.)
• Outside food and beverages
• Pets (with the exception of service animals)
• Poles and staffs (metal, plastic or wooden)
• Professional cameras with fixed or detachable zoom lenses longer than 6" and/or tripods. Please see the "Camera Policy" in the FAQ section for more information.
• Umbrellas larger than 15” when closed. (Under 15" are permitted)
• Vaping pens and any smoke/vapor emitting products
• Video camera and audio recording devices (including camcorders, GoPros, Contour cameras)
• Weapons of any kind (includes but not limited to guns, knives, mace, chains, spikes, projectiles, tasers, etc.)
• Wrapped gifts

Entertainment & Sports Arena has a no re-entry policy during events. Guests who need to exit and re-enter due to personal emergencies (i.e. retrieve medicine from vehicle), must first make contact with a Guest Service representative to make necessary arrangements.

Entertainment & Sports Arena has a no refund, no exchange policy on tickets for all events. Exceptions may apply.

Signs, Banners, Posters, and Flag Policy – Unless otherwise specified by teams or event management, guests are welcome to bring small signs, posters and flags for events. (22" x 24" or smaller) Banners are not allowed.

The following guidelines apply:

        •       Item must be related to the event

        •       Item may not be attached to a stick/pole

        ◦       Item may not obstruct any sponsor/building signage

        ▪       Item may not be attached, hung, taped or draped over any part of the building

        ▪       Item may not be commercial in nature

        ▪       Item may not contain or display obscene/offensive language and/or pictures, as determined by Arena Management

        ▪       Item may not be constructed or displayed in a manner that may obstruct the view of other guests, interrupt the experience of other guests, or create a safety hazard

        ▪       Signs must be constructed of paper, fabric or poster board materials

        ▪       Signs may not be constructed of or contain plastic, wood, metal, glass or any material that can be used as a weapon

Entertainment & Sports Arena is a smoke free facility and smoking is not allowed anywhere in the arena. Vape Pens or similar and any vapor/smoke emitting products are not allowed inside the arena and may be confiscated. Cigarette lighters are also prohibited. 

Tickets for events at Entertainment & Sports Arena may be purchased at the following authorized points of purchase: in person at the Entertainment & Sports Arena Box Office, at Ticketmaster.com, or at a Ticketmaster Outlet. Note: there are no ticket printing devices located on the concourse.

Consumer Warning – Entertainment & Sports Arena uses bar code scanning for ticket admissions. As a result, fans should be careful when purchasing tickets and should ensure that the seller is an Entertainment & Sports Arena licensed ticket seller, such as the arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster by phone, and Ticketmaster.com. Otherwise, you may be purchasing a ticket that is invalid and will be denied admission. 

Ticketmaster Charges

Ticketmaster surcharges cover the costs of performing the administrative functions necessary to process ticket orders, as well as for shipping. There are three ways to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster. If you choose to use Ticketmaster’s phone or Internet service, you will be assessed a facility fee, a convenience and shipping charge.  You may avoid Ticketmaster charges only by purchasing tickets in person at the Entertainment & Sports Arena box office.

Ticketmaster Phone Numbers

• Ticketmaster Customer Service: 800-653-8000
• Ticketmaster Express: 866-448-7849
• Ticketmaster TDD/TTY: 800-943-4327

NOTICE TO FANS: COUNTERFEIT & SECONDARY MARKET TICKETS

Guests are advised that the only authorized sales agents for Entertainment & Sports Arena are the Events DC/Entertainment & Sports Arena Ticketing Department, Entertainment & Sports Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster and Entertainment & Sports Arena event promoters.

The only authorized ticket resale services for Entertainment & Sports Arena events are Ticketmaster verified sites.

Tickets purchased from any other sources may not be valid. Entertainment & Sports Arena is not able to honor, replace, or refund invalid tickets.

Reporting Counterfeit Tickets

Invalid tickets/barcodes will be confiscated by Entertainment & Sports Arena Box Office after an invalid scan. A copy of the ticket will be provided at the customer’s request. A copy of the invalid ticket may be used to alert the point of purchase.

Guests with invalid tickets are welcome to purchase new tickets at the Entertainment & Sports Arena Box Office, but seat inventory, location and price is based upon availability.

Guests are strongly encouraged to report counterfeit ticket sales to the point of purchase and to consumer protection agencies such as the District of Columbia Attorney General Consumer Protection Hotline at: (202) 442-9828 or via email at: consumer.protection@dc.gov

Wheelchair escorts are available for guests who may need assistance getting to or from their seat. Our escorts will meet a guest at the entry doors and assist them to their seat as well as meeting them at the end of event and escorting them to the nearest exit. For more information, please contact us here. 

Mayor Bowser has announced the lifting of the vaccine requirement for indoor entertainment facilities, including Entertainment & Sports Arena. Guests attending events at Entertainment & Sports Arena, including Washington Mystics and Capital City Go-Go games, will no longer be required to verify their vaccination status beginning on February 15, 2022. 

Guests will be notified about specific protocols required to attend other concerts and events at the time of purchasing tickets or will receive updated information from the event organizer/promoter if requirements evolve.

Per NBA/WNBA guidelines, attendees of Mystics and Go-Go games seated in a player-proximate ticket location remain subject to vaccination verification or proof of a negative COVID test.

All Events DC staff are required to be fully vaccinated.

Events DC will continue to comply with all health and safety guidelines as outlined by the DC Department of Health and Executive Office of the Mayor.