Federal Boulevard backs up for blocks before a Broncos kickoff, and by the time your group finds a lot with room left, the walk in is usually longer than anyone budgeted for. The stadium's rideshare drop-off sits at the NE corner near Gate 5 on Mile High Stadium Circle, but the pickup point afterward moves to a corner of 5th and Walnut Street at the Ball Arena lot — a walk the stadium itself puts at around 15 minutes, made once with a full stomach and once again after a loss. A charter bus or party bus rental skips almost all of it: your group loads at one curb, rides down I-25 or Federal Boulevard together, and gets dropped at a gate instead of splitting into six cars hunting for the last open space in Lot J.
Below is what actually happens on the ground at Empower Field at Mile High — pulled from the stadium's own parking, gameday, and tailgating pages — including which lots take a group vehicle, what a permit runs, how the RTD light rail station fits in, and what shapes a bus rental price for a game. Denver's stadium-district traffic pattern shifts by kickoff time and by event, so use the specifics below as your starting point and check anything time-sensitive against the official Empower Field at Mile High directions and parking page before you go.
Why Rent a Denver Party Bus or Charter Bus to Empower Field at Mile High
A Broncos Sunday means splitting a group across several cars, each one needing its own parking permit, and each transportation provider giving up the tailgate beer because someone has to get everybody home. A Denver party bus rental erases that math. One vehicle, one permit, and the built-in designated transportation provider means the whole group can actually tailgate instead of half of it babysitting a cooler and a set of keys.
It also solves the walk. Empower Field's lots stretch across roughly 5,444 spaces spread over ten numbered and lettered lots on both sides of the stadium, per the venue's own parking lots page — plenty of total spaces, but a coach or minibus only needs one of them, the same as a single car, to move 20, 35, or 56 people at once. A group that would otherwise need eight or nine separate permits condenses into one, and everyone arrives and leaves together instead of getting split up in the postgame crowd.
Whether it's a Sunday game, a Thursday or Sunday night matchup, or a summer concert on the same turf, comparing charter bus, party bus, and minibus rates for Empower Field at Mile High takes about a minute through Denverminibuscompany.com — call 720-912-9500 or use the online form to see what's available for your date.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off and Parking at Empower Field at Mile High
Empower Field at Mile High does not publish a separate motorcoach gate the way some NFL stadiums do — group vehicles use the same lot system as everyone else, which makes lot selection and permit timing the two things worth getting right before kickoff.
Which Lot Actually Works for a Group Vehicle
Per the Broncos' own gameday parking page, Lot C is the early-tailgate lot: it opens six hours before kickoff, runs $55 a space, and the stadium's own guidance says it's typically sold out within 30 minutes to an hour of opening. Lot A is set aside as a carpool section — vehicles need four or more passengers to use it, tailgating isn't permitted there, and it opens 4.5 hours before kickoff at $45 a space. Every other standard lot opens that same 4.5-hour window at published Broncos-day rates, and every transaction on the property is credit-card only; there's no cash lane anywhere on site.
A coach, minibus, or party bus is treated as one vehicle occupying one space, same as a sedan, so a 40-person group riding together needs a single permit instead of ten. If your group wants the full pregame window, Lot C's six-hour open beats the standard 4.5-hour lots — but because it's first-come, first-served and sells out fast, a bus rental booked with a company found through Denverminibuscompany.com builds that lot choice and arrival timing into the plan instead of leaving it to chance at the gate.
Buying the Permit Before You Show Up
Pre-purchased permits are sold through Ticketmaster ahead of the game, and the venue's directions page warns plainly that on-site parking is limited and permits are expected to sell out. Unlike stadiums that shut off all gate sales once pre-purchase runs out, Empower Field's standard lots still take credit-card purchases on gameday when space remains — but that's a fallback, not a plan. For a group vehicle, buying ahead avoids the possibility of circling I-25 frontage roads looking for a lot that still has room an hour before kickoff.
ADA-accessible parking is first-come, first-served in Lot L ($35) or in ADA sections within Lots D and G ($40), credit card only, and requires a valid state-issued placard or plate. If anyone in your group needs that space, note it in your quote request so the drop-off and pickup point line up with an accessible route.
There's no bus-specific gate published for Empower Field at Mile High. Group vehicles use the same numbered and lettered lots as cars, one permit per vehicle. For oversized-vehicle questions specific to your date, the stadium's own contact is Stadium Management at 720-258-3000 or [email protected].
Rideshare, Light Rail & Driving to Empower Field at Mile High — Every Option Compared
A Denver charter bus rental isn't automatically the right call for two people going to one game. Here's an honest look at how the main options actually stack up for a group.
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Walk to the gate | Tailgating | Best group size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private charter or party bus | One flat rate split across the group | Yes — one vehicle, one lot | Same as any lot permit-holder | Yes — built-in designated transportation provider | 15–56 |
| RTD light rail (E/W Line) | Day Pass, roughly $5.50 | Only if riding the same train | Direct — station sits at the stadium | No | Any, no group control |
| Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) | Per car each way, plus postgame surge | No — multiple cars, multiple ETAs | Drop at Gate 5 NE corner; pickup relocates to 5th & Walnut, ~15-min walk | Yes, but fragmented | 1–4 per car |
| Everyone drives & parks | Individual permit + gas per car | No — caravans split up | Varies by lot | Only the non-transportation providers | 1–2 cars |
RTD's Empower Field at Mile High Station
The E and W Line light rail stops directly at Empower Field at Mile High Station, a short ride from Denver Union Station downtown. On gamedays, RTD adds extended and more frequent service and layers in express bus shuttles that typically start running a couple of hours before kickoff and continue for 45 minutes after the final whistle, per RTD's own gameday service announcement. It's a solid option for a couple of fans coming from downtown — but it isn't built for a 30-person group trying to stay together through a packed platform and a transfer, and there's no way to load coolers, folding tables, or tailgate gear onto a train car.
The rideshare picture is trickier for a group. Drop-off is at the NE corner near Gate 5 on Mile High Stadium Circle, but pickup afterward moves to 5th Street and Walnut Street at the Ball Arena lot — a relocation the stadium's own gameday page puts at roughly a 15-minute walk, made by a crowd that just spent three hours on its feet.
A multi-stop trip — say, a downtown hotel, then the stadium, then a bar afterward — is exactly the kind of itinerary a private bus handles in one booking instead of three separate rideshare calls; the Denver group transportation services page covers that kind of routed, multi-stop day.
Denver International Airport to Empower Field at Mile High: Charter Bus Pickup
Out-of-town fans flying in for a Broncos game land roughly 25 miles northeast of the stadium at Denver International Airport (DEN), and that drive runs about 35–45 minutes off-peak via Peña Boulevard and I-70 to I-25 — longer once gameday traffic stacks up on the interstate near the stadium exits. A rideshare scramble at baggage claim, with a group's worth of luggage and no coordinated pickup, is the exact moment a bus rental earns its keep.
One bus gathers the whole group at the terminal curb, holds the luggage in the undercarriage bays, and runs straight to the stadium or the hotel instead of leaving people to sort themselves into cars on arrival day. The Denver airport transportation page covers pickup timing and flight-tracking details for a DEN arrival built around a game day.
What Size Denver Party Bus or Minibus Fits Your Empower Field at Mile High Group
Group size and how much tailgate gear you're hauling decide the right vehicle. Here's how the lineup breaks down for a stadium run.
| Vehicle | Typical seats | Gear capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to ~14 | Modest — coolers, a few bags | Suite groups, small groups |
| Party bus | 15–40 | Onboard, lighter | Fan groups wanting the rolling tailgate |
| Minibus (18–35 passenger sizes) | 18–35 | Overhead plus some underfloor | Mid-size groups, quick downtown pickups |
| Charter bus | Up to 56 | Deep undercarriage bays | Large fan groups, corporate outings |
A party bus makes sense for a group that wants the pregame energy on the ride over — built-in sound and lighting keep things going before anyone even reaches Lot C. For a bigger group hauling grills, folding tables, and coolers, a full-size charter bus has the undercarriage room those items actually need, plus an onboard restroom for the ride home. Groups heading to a suite for a client outing instead of a tailgate often land on a Sprinter van or minibus — the Denver corporate transportation page covers that kind of trip. See the full vehicle lineup to compare every option side by side.
Empower Field at Mile High Charter Bus Rental Prices
There's no single sticker price for a bus rental to Empower Field at Mile High — the quote is shaped by vehicle size, total hours (including tailgate time and the postgame wait), the date, and your pickup location's distance from the stadium. A regular-season Sunday afternoon prices differently than a Thursday or Sunday night matchup, when demand runs tighter.
To give you an idea, a group booking a 35-passenger minibus for an 8-hour window on a Sunday game — pickup from a downtown hotel three hours before kickoff, tailgate time in Lot C, and a postgame pickup after the crowd clears — might land in the range of $1,600 to $2,200, or roughly $46 to $63 a head split across the group. That figure moves with the date, the vehicle, the hours booked, and demand for your weekend, so it's only a planning starting point. The Denver bus rental prices page has more detail, or call 720-912-9500 for pricing on your exact date — it takes about a minute.
Splitting one bus rate across 20, 35, or 56 riders routinely beats what the same group spends on separate parking permits, gas, and rideshare fares to get everyone home afterward — and it's one predictable number instead of a dozen unpredictable ones.
Tailgating Rules at Empower Field at Mile High
A bus is close to the ideal tailgate vehicle — the storage bays hold grills and coolers, and nobody has to cut out early to stay sober for the drive home. The Broncos' own tailgating page lays out the rules that apply to every vehicle in the lot, group or not:
- One permit, one space. Tailgating happens directly behind or in front of your own vehicle — spaces can't be saved, combined, or reserved for a caravan.
- No open flames. Gas and charcoal grills are fine; open-flame fires are not.
- Kegs and glass are out. Kegs and glass bottles aren't permitted anywhere in the lots.
- Breakdown is timed. Every tailgate has to be broken down and cleared 45 minutes before kickoff — no lingering setups once the lots start emptying toward the gates.
- Keep the lanes clear. Drive lanes and pedestrian aisles can't be blocked, and unauthorized vehicles like go-karts, mini-bikes, and scooters aren't allowed in the lot.
The 45-minute breakdown window is easier to hit with one vehicle than with six — a bus group folds up one tailgate instead of coordinating five separate ones, and everyone's walking to the gate together instead of some people still packing up a trunk.
Leaving Empower Field at Mile High After the Game
Getting out is the roughest part of any Empower Field visit. When a sellout crowd heads for the exits at once, the lots empty in waves, Federal Boulevard and the I-25 frontage roads back up hard, and rideshare pickup relocates a 15-minute walk away to 5th and Walnut at the Ball Arena lot — a walk plenty of fans don't realize is coming until they're already outside the gates.
With a bus, your group agrees on a pickup window and a lot before the game even starts, so there's no regrouping in a packed lot or a surge-priced rideshare wait after a loss. The vehicle stages in your permitted lot, and the group climbs aboard once the crowd starts to thin instead of joining the crawl toward the frontage road on foot.
Getting to Empower Field at Mile High: What's on the 2026 Calendar
The Broncos' 2026 home slate runs from preseason through January, and a few dates are worth building a plan around early:
- Preseason: Green Bay on August 21 and Minnesota on August 28, both at 7:00 p.m.
- Regular season: Jacksonville (Sept. 20, 2:05 p.m.), the Los Angeles Rams (Sept. 27, Sunday Night Football at 6:20 p.m.), Seattle (Oct. 15, Thursday Night Football at 6:15 p.m.), Kansas City (Nov. 1, 2:25 p.m.), Las Vegas (Nov. 22, 2:25 p.m.), Miami (Dec. 6, 2:05 p.m.), and Buffalo on Christmas Day — Denver's first-ever home game on December 25, streaming on Netflix at 2:30 p.m.
- Regular season finale: the Los Angeles Chargers on January 9 or 10, 2027 (time still to be set).
Outside football, Empower Field's turf hosts summer stadium concerts — Zach Bryan is booked for two nights, August 13 and 14, 2026, per the venue's official events calendar. Stadium-scale concerts bring their own lot-opening and gate schedule separate from Broncos gamedays, so it's worth checking the calendar directly for your date. A Denver concert transportation booking works the same way as a game-day one: one pickup, one drop near the gates, one ride home.
Night games and prime-time matchups — the Rams, Seahawks, and Christmas Day slot among them — tend to book up the tightest for group vehicles, since more of the metro area is free to attend after work. Locking in a vehicle a few weeks ahead of those dates keeps you from choosing between whatever's left.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does a charter bus or party bus drop off at Empower Field at Mile High?
There's no separate motorcoach gate published for the stadium — group vehicles use the same lettered and numbered lots as cars, with one permit per vehicle. Rideshare and taxi drop-off specifically is at the NE corner near Gate 5 on Mile High Stadium Circle, but a bus with a parking permit rides directly into its assigned lot instead.
Where do buses park during a Broncos game?
A coach, minibus, or party bus is treated as a single vehicle in a single permit space, the same as a car. Lot C is the earliest option, opening six hours before kickoff at $55 a space; standard lots open 4.5 hours before kickoff. There's no dedicated bus lot, so confirming an oversized-vehicle spot ahead of your date with Stadium Management (720-258-3000 or [email protected]) is worth doing for a full-size coach.
How much does parking cost at Empower Field at Mile High?
Published Broncos-day rates run from $45 for Lot A's carpool section up to $55 for early-access Lot C, with ADA parking at $35 in Lot L or $40 in Lots D and G. Every lot is credit-card only — there's no cash option anywhere on the property.
Can I buy a parking permit on gameday?
Sometimes. The stadium's directions page warns that permits are expected to sell out, and pre-purchasing through Ticketmaster is the reliable route. Standard lots do take credit-card sales on gameday when space remains, but that's not something to count on for a group vehicle that needs a guaranteed spot.
What roads back up worst on gameday?
Federal Boulevard and the I-25 frontage roads flanking the stadium carry the heaviest gameday traffic, both approaching kickoff and again as the lots empty afterward. The Broncos' own lot-specific directions route traffic in and out via Federal Boulevard and I-25 exits depending on which lot you're assigned.
Is there a light rail or bus option to Empower Field at Mile High?
Yes — RTD's E and W Line stops directly at Empower Field at Mile High Station, a short ride from Denver Union Station, with extended and more frequent service plus added express shuttles around gametime. It works well for a couple of riders; a private bus is the better fit once a group needs to move and stay together.
How much does it cost to rent a bus to Empower Field at Mile High?
Pricing depends on vehicle size, total hours including tailgate and postgame wait time, the date, and your pickup distance from the stadium. To give you an idea, an 8-hour minibus rental for a Sunday game might run $1,600–$2,200 for the group. Call 720-912-9500 or use the online form for pricing on your exact date.
What size bus fits our group?
A Sprinter van covers up to about 14 riders, a party bus runs 15–40 with a built-in bar and sound system, minibuses cover 18–35 with more overhead storage, and a full charter bus holds up to 56 with deep undercarriage bays for tailgate gear. Group size and gear volume decide which one fits.
Can we tailgate with a bus rental?
Yes. Gas and charcoal grills are allowed, kegs and glass bottles aren't, and every tailgate has to be broken down 45 minutes before kickoff. A bus group folds up one setup instead of several and walks to the gate together once the lot clears.
What's the bag policy at Empower Field at Mile High?
Per the venue's clear bag policy, each guest may carry one clear bag no larger than 12" x 6" x 12" (including a one-gallon clear zip-lock), plus a small non-clear bag or clutch no larger than 4.5" x 6.5". Backpacks, purses, diaper bags, and tinted or patterned bags aren't allowed — there's no bag check at the gates, so anything that doesn't fit the policy has to go back to the vehicle.
How far is Denver International Airport from Empower Field at Mile High?
About 25 miles, roughly 35–45 minutes off-peak via Peña Boulevard, I-70, and I-25 — longer once gameday interstate traffic builds near the stadium exits.
How early should we arrive before kickoff?
Standard lots open 4.5 hours before kickoff, and Lot C's early-tailgate window opens at 6 hours out. Mane Street, the stadium's south-side plaza between Gates 9 and 10, opens 3 hours before kickoff if your group wants time there before heading to your seats.
How far in advance should we book a bus for a Broncos game?
A few weeks out is workable for most regular-season Sunday games, but prime-time matchups — the Rams, Seahawks, and the Christmas Day game against Buffalo among them — draw more of the metro area and tighten vehicle availability faster. Booking as soon as your date is set keeps the right-size vehicle on the table.
Also planning a trip to Ball Arena or Red Rocks Amphitheatre? Those guides cover their own drop-offs and lot logistics.
Book Your Empower Field at Mile High Bus Today
Whether it's a Sunday tailgate, a prime-time matchup, or a summer concert on the same field, Denverminibuscompany.com makes it easy to compare charter buses, party buses, minibuses, and Sprinter vans serving Empower Field at Mile High and the rest of the Denver metro. Fill out the quick online form or call 720-912-9500 any time for pricing on your date — no account required, and no obligation to book.
