Brooklyn Nets stadium NYC

The Barclays Center is a modern arena located in Brooklyn, known as the home of the Brooklyn Nets. Want to experience the magic of the NBA?

Unlike a few years ago, it is now possible to visit the Barclays Center without attending a game or concert, as the venue currently offers guided tours that take you behind the scenes, let you discover some of its most iconic moments, and explore Brooklyn’s sports and cultural history.

The Barclays Center remains the home of the Brooklyn Nets and also hosts the WNBA’s New York Liberty, as well as concerts and other major events. The New York Islanders no longer play there: since 2021, they’ve been playing their home games at UBS Arena.

Buy tickets for the Brooklyn Nets

If you want to experience the electric atmosphere and excitement that this sport generates on the East Coast during your trip to New York, my advice is to book your tickets for the Brooklyn Nets as soon as possible.

Demand for NBA games is extremely high, and tickets sell out months in advance. In my article on how to watch NBA games in New York,
I explain in detail how the basketball season works, the different stages it’s divided into, and how to buy NBA tickets.

You have two options for buying tickets to Brooklyn Nets games:

Buy them online in advance

If basketball is your passion and you’ve included an NBA game in your trip to New York, I recommend that you buy your basketball tickets online before you travel. There are several reasons for this—let me explain why:

• To get the best seats at the Barclays Center at a lower price, the key is to buy your tickets as early as possible. Demand for NBA games is extremely high, so tickets usually sell out in a flash as soon as they go on sale.
• The American ticket market is dynamic, which means prices rise as the game date approaches and supply decreases (just like with flights, for example). If you wait too long to book them, you run the risk of missing out on basketball tickets or only finding a few at a high price in sections with poorer visibility.
• Another advantage of buying basketball tickets online is that you can choose your favorite seat at the Barclays Center to watch the Brooklyn Nets.

In my opinion, this is the easiest, safest, and fastest option. Plus, having your tickets ready at home gives you peace of mind.

At the stadium box office

Based on my experience, I don’t think this is the best option. Here’s why:

• For starters, buying tickets to see the Brooklyn Nets once you arrive in New York means you’ll have to travel to the Barclays Center, work around the ticket window’s hours, and stand in an endless line to purchase them.
• This means you’ll waste a lot of your trip’s time standing in line at the stadium gates when you could be visiting the Statue of Liberty or seeing a Broadway musical, among many other things.
• Plus, there will be fewer options available—and they might even be priced at a premium —or they may be completely sold out due to the high demand for NBA tickets.

Beware of scalpers

If I had to give you one last piece of advice when buying your basketball tickets, it would be to be very cautious about scalpers near the arena. You’ll likely end up paying an exorbitant price for tickets with poor visibility or, in the worst-case scenario, for counterfeit tickets that won’t get you into the game.

When choosing basketball tickets at the Barclays Center, an important factor is your budget, since ticket prices usually depend directly on how close you are to the court.

The cheapest tickets are for the seats furthest away and highest up, as well as those in the corners and along the wall, while prices rise as you get closer to the court.

At the Barclays Center, the best section is along the sidelines, almost right at the court, where you can watch the game and see the players almost as if you were part of the team—though these are the most expensive seats. Behind the baskets is also where you’ll often find some pretty good deals if you want to see the NBA stars up close without spending VIP-level prices.

You can view the views from each seat

In any case, when you buy basketball tickets online to see the Brooklyn Nets, an image will appear on your screen showing the exact views from each section, so you can make a more informed choice and know what to expect from each seat.

The tickets will be electronic and you’ll receive them via email so you can access them whenever you need to. Just keep in mind that in the United States, for security reasons, tickets are usually issued a few days before the game, so it might take a little while to receive them—but don’t worry, this is normal and they always arrive on time.

Do I need to print them?

My advice is to read the instructions you receive in your email carefully because you usually don’t need to print them. However, if your tickets are in PDF format and you need to print them but are already away from home, the solution is simple. If you need to, your hotel can help you print them, or you can search Google Maps for a Staples (an office supply store) or Copy Center to print them near your lodging or the stadium.

And if I don’t have internet, how do I access my tickets?

If you don’t have a stable internet connection or don’t have mobile data on your phone during your trip to New York, don’t worry. You can always download them at your hotel or at any public place with guest Wi-Fi (such as a café or restaurant) so you’ll have them ready when you enter the stadium.

On days when the Brooklyn Nets play at the Barclays Center, the city comes alive in a special way. You can feel it in the air —there’s even more excitement and bustle than usual on the streets of New York.

On game day, I recommend arriving at the arena at least an hour early soyou can take your time getting there, go through security, find your seats, and enjoy the pre-game show—listening to the U.S. national anthem, watching the cheerleaders’ performance, and seeing the players take the court. The crowd welcomes them like heroes!

How to get to the Barclays Center?

If you’ve bought basketball tickets to see the Brooklyn Nets play at home, my advice is to take advantage of the day to tour Brooklyn, which, with its industrial past and strong cultural identity, is well worth a visit.

You can walk there by crossing the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan and take a stroll before the game starts. In my article “10 Things to Do and See in Brooklyn,” I give you some ideas for sightseeing here and having a great time.

If you have another activity planned for that day and want to go directly to the Barclays Center to watch the game, you can take public transportation, but it’s important to factor in traffic or rush hour so you don’t arrive late at the Barclays Center.

Inside the Barclays Center, there are various food and beverage stands where you can grab a snack while watching the game, but prices are significantly higher than outside. For example, a hot dog can cost about $7, a soda around $6.50, and a bottle of water approximately $5.

Since you’re not allowed to bring your own food or drinks into the arena, I recommend heading to one of the restaurants near the Barclays Center to grab a bite if you get hungry—such as Shake Sack, McDonald’s, or Patsy’s Pizzeria—either before or after the game to celebrate the Nets’ victory.

How long does an NBA game last?

Officially, it lasts 48 minutes (4 quarters of 12 minutes each), but including breaks and halftime, most games usually last 2 hours or more. After the first two quarters, there’s a 15-minute halftime break during which you can grab a bite to eat or use the restroom.

Can you bring cameras or backpacks into the arena?

According to the Barclays Center’s access policy, backpacks or bags larger than 10”x6x2” or with hard sides are not permitted. Professional camera equipment, audio and/or video recording devices, selfie sticks, and tripods are also prohibited.

Do children have to pay for admission to NBA games?

The NBA is a very family-friendly event, but when it comes to whether children pay for admission, the reality is that it depends on each team.

The Barclays Center’s policy on children’s access to the arena states that for all sporting events, children up to 34" inches tall (86.36 centimeters) may enter for free, though they must share a seat with an adult who has a ticket. Any child who does not meet this height requirement will need their own ticket to enter the arena.

If you’re going to the arena with children under two years old, bring proof of their age with you in case it’s requested at the entrance. Valid forms of identification include a passport or a birth certificate.

People go to New York to have a great time, and even if you’re not a huge sports fan, watching an NBA game in person is one of the most exciting things to do in the United States and a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s best players up close. A true spectacle of music, dance, and above all, basketball!

If you want to attend an NBA game during your trip to New York, you can’t miss the Brooklyn Nets here. The season begins in late October and ends in mid-April.

What’s the Barclays Center like?

When the Nets decided to move from New Jersey to New York, they chose the borough of Brooklyn for their new home and built the new arena on Atlantic Avenue, right next to a major transportation hub.

The Barclays Center is a massive arena in the heart of this borough, just around the corner from the BAM. With a capacity of over 17,000 spectators, **it’s famous for being the “home” of the Brooklyn Nets (in the NBA).

In addition, this arena has also hosted boxing championships and music events (in fact, several of the world’s top artists have performed here, including Jay-Z, Ariana Grande, Marc Anthony, and Celine Dion).

If you’re a sports fan and want to attend another event during your vacation in New York, I recommend other options such as:

The NBA

In New York, you can also watch the New York Knicks play at Madison Square Garden.

The NHL

You can watch the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders play in the Big Apple. The ice hockey season runs from October through April.

MLB

In New York, you can watch the New York Yankees and the New York Mets play. The baseball season runs from April through early November, culminating in the World Series, and in this post, I’ll explain in detail how to buy tickets to see MLB games in New York.

The NFL

In New York, you can watch the New York Giants and the New York Jets play. The season runs from early September through early February, culminating in the Super Bowl. If you love America’s favorite sport, this article will tell you how to watch an NFL game in New York.